By Mulengera Reporters
Women entrepreneurs across Uganda’s West Nile region have received a major boost after the GROW Project launched a UGX1.5 billion financing facility to help them expand their businesses, create jobs and strengthen household incomes.
The financing facility was launched on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, in Yumbe District through a partnership between the GROW Project, Koboko United SACCO, the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) and the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.
The GROW Project is funded by the World Bank and is designed to improve women’s access to affordable financing and business development opportunities.
The launch, graced by Koboko District Resident District Commissioner Mpimbaza Hashaka, brought together women entrepreneurs from Arua, Adjumani, Obongi, Madi-Okollo, Maracha, Koboko and Yumbe.
For many of the women in attendance, the unveiling of the funds offered an opportunity to learn how they can access financing to strengthen enterprises that have often struggled with limited capital.
Shs1.5bn set aside for women entrepreneurs
Under the new facility, Koboko United SACCO will on-lend the UGX1.5 billion to eligible women entrepreneurs across West Nile through the GROW Loan.
Speaking at the launch, Dr. Denis Tukahikaho, Technical and Financial Specialist with the PSFU GROW Project, encouraged women entrepreneurs to take advantage of the facility and invest the money in activities that can grow their businesses.
He said the financing is intended to address one of the major challenges facing women entrepreneurs—limited access to affordable capital.
The facility is expected to enable eligible women to increase their stock, invest in equipment, expand operations and pursue new business opportunities.
Beyond individual enterprises, the programme is intended to generate wider economic benefits by helping women-owned businesses create employment and contribute to economic activity across the region.
Bringing finance closer to women
The launch in Yumbe also brought the GROW financing opportunity closer to women entrepreneurs outside the major urban centres.
Through Koboko United SACCO, eligible women in the seven participating districts will have a local channel through which they can seek information and access financing under the programme.
The initiative forms part of the wider GROW Project, a Government of Uganda programme funded by the World Bank and implemented by PSFU together with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.
GROW seeks to support women entrepreneurs with access to finance and other interventions aimed at helping their businesses transition from micro to small enterprises and from small to medium-sized businesses.
As the UGX1.5 billion facility begins to flow through Koboko United SACCO, women entrepreneurs in West Nile are now being encouraged to turn the financing opportunity into productive investments that can strengthen their businesses and livelihoods.
For the region’s women in business, the launch represents more than the unveiling of a financing package—it marks a new opportunity to access capital closer to home and pursue the next stage of business growth. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
