KAMPALA – State Minister for Microfinance Haruna Kyeyune Kasolo has described as malevolent accusations including the alleged conflict of interest linked to how an NGO associated with him is said to have received UGX 2 billion from Microfinance Support Centre (MSC).
The minister who has been on the receiving end of bad publicity in the past few days has since denied dipping his hands in public coffers to finance his personal activities.
Kasolo has also dismissed reports that he used his influence as minister to receive money from the Microfinance Support Centre to Kasolo Foundation Limited, a foundation in his home district.
Speaking to PML Daily on Monday, the minister said he had not taken a shilling out of the UGX 2 billion MSC loan facility. He said his foundation only acted as a guarantee for the loans that Microfinance Support Centre gave to individual groups and each received from between UGX5M and UGX10M which they signed directly from MSC in 2021.
“They have never lent Kasolo Foundation any money. They never sent any money to the Foundation’s account. The money was lent to individual groups in Kyotera. It was they (MSC staff) who advised that I guarantee the loans. They never handed me a single coin. My crime was to, maybe, want my people to benefit,” Mr Kasolo said.
The minister has since described as malicious stories fueled by the opposition after they failed to find anything to pin him on claims of paying himself UGX2 billions.
Kasolo also denied reports of using Emyooga Funds to develop his Solo Heights in Masaka and spending on the wedding.
According to the AG’s report now before Cosase, MSC received budget financing from the government through Emyooga grants to the tune of Shs100b and other credit funds worth Shs27.7b for the Financial Year 2021/2022.
The centre also had on its books Shs40b in internally generated funds from loan processing fees and interest earned. It is part of this money that was loaned out to Saccos like those operating under Kasolo Foundation.
