Haruna Kasolo Kyeyune, the State Minister for Microfinance, has suggested the possibility of passing a law in parliament that would administer physical punishment to lazy-poor individuals as a means of motivating them to work towards financial success.
Addressing the Kayunga Muslim Sacco, Kasolo emphasized the government’s efforts in implementing various poverty-alleviation programs such as Boona Bagagawale, Emyooga, and the Parish Development Model (PDM). However, he expressed concern that some Ugandans were not taking advantage of these opportunities.
“We have discovered that some Ugandans need to be pushed into wealth acquisition. In the future, the government could pass a law in parliament whereby all the lazy-poor people would be given strokes so that they can also learn to work and become rich,” stated Kasolo.
The former Kyotera County MP criticized beneficiaries of Emyooga and PDM funds in different regions for mismanagement, urging them to use the financial resources responsibly. Additionally, Kasolo issued a one-month ultimatum for all Emyooga defaulters to repay their loans, emphasizing the importance of meeting the 0.6 per cent interest rate at the end of the second year.
To enforce this directive, the Minister assigned Resident District/City Commissioners the task of compiling a list of Emyooga defaulters within one week.
Emyooga, launched in 2019 as part of the Presidential Initiative on Wealth and Job Creation, aims to transition 39% of households from subsistence to market-oriented production. The Parish Development Model (PDM), introduced in 2022, focuses on enhancing service delivery and reducing poverty at the grassroots level.
The proposed measure to administer physical punishment to the lazy-poor has sparked controversy and raised ethical concerns among various segments of the population.