UPDF Spouses Praised For Productive Investment Of Presidential Support Fund Loans

The Unit Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Committee last week visited all Special Forces Command (SFC) units to verify how spouses are utilising the Presidential Support Fund (PSF) loans aimed at improving household incomes.

The five-day inspection, led by Col. Night Ikiriza, Head of Administration at SFC and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) newly elected representative in Parliament, commended spouses who have effectively invested the loans to expand their businesses and support their families.

According to the committee’s findings, many spouses have ventured into income-generating projects such as piggery, cattle and goat rearing, poultry farming, mobile money services, retail shops, groceries, boutiques, and boda boda operations, among others.

The PSF programme was initiated by *H:E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni* to empower UPDF spouses economically and enable them to better provide for their households.

However, the committee expressed concern over some units that failed to utilise the funds appropriately and did not repay their loans on time.

*Col Ikiriza* , who also chairs the PSF, cautioned unit leadership and administrations to take an active role in guiding and supervising the programme, noting that it is a command-led initiative.

She urged spouses to repay their loans promptly to maintain trust in the scheme and allow other groups to benefit. She also encouraged wider participation, emphasising that the programme is a reliable avenue for increasing household income.

The committee further observed that spouses who remain economically inactive often depend entirely on their husbands for financial support, a situation that can lead to family conflicts.

Findings also indicated low participation among spouses of officers. The committee recommended that they equally join the programme, stressing that the initiative is designed to benefit all spouses regardless of rank. Some spouses were also noted to be reluctant to embrace the opportunity.

Meanwhile, the committee pledged to allocate additional funds to disciplined groups that invest wisely and repay their loans on schedule.