Museveni Gives Shs2 Million to Each Ugandan Repatriated From South Africa, Shs2 Billion to SACCO

President Yoweri Museveni has announced a financial support package for the 1,030 Ugandans who were recently repatriated from South Africa after fleeing violent xenophobic attacks, with each returnee set to receive Shs2 million and their SACCO allocated Shs2 billion to help them restart their lives.

The announcement was made on Sunday during the closing ceremony of a two-week reintegration and leadership training programme for the returnees at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi.

Museveni said the government’s support is intended to help the returnees establish livelihoods and reintegrate into their communities after losing businesses, jobs and property during the attacks in South Africa.

The President encouraged the returnees to embrace opportunities available in Uganda instead of believing that prosperity can only be found abroad. He argued that Uganda has abundant resources capable of creating wealth and employment for its citizens if they are fully utilised.

“Why would Ugandans leave such a beautiful country to go roaming around looking for jobs elsewhere?” Museveni asked as he urged young people to focus on building successful lives at home.

Addressing the xenophobic violence that forced the Ugandans to return, Museveni revealed that he had discussed the matter directly with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

He said he warned Ramaphosa that attacks targeting fellow Africans threaten the spirit of African unity and could have far-reaching consequences if left unchecked.

According to Museveni, Ramaphosa told him that those behind the attacks were opponents of South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC) rather than representatives of the country’s official position.

Museveni said he appealed to the South African leader to take firm action against xenophobia, stressing that African nations should welcome and protect one another instead of turning against fellow citizens of the continent.

He cautioned that if African countries begin retaliating against one another over such incidents, the resulting tensions could undermine regional cooperation and stability.

The President also directed the returnees to submit detailed information about the businesses, homes and other property they lost during the attacks so that the government can assess the extent of their losses and determine additional support measures where possible.

The 1,030 Ugandans were recently repatriated after being displaced by xenophobic violence in South Africa and have since undergone a two-week reintegration programme aimed at preparing them to rebuild their lives back home.