ENTEBBE, Uganda – A total of 150 teachers from government schools in Entebbe Municipality have been trained to access Walimu SACCO loans directly from their smartphones, marking the start of phase two of the SACCO’s digital loan rollout.
The training, organized by Entebbe Municipal Council together with Walimu Cooperative Union Ltd, onboarded teachers onto the new Walimu App to cut paperwork and speed up loan processing.
Paul Oketcho, Credit Manager at Walimu Cooperative Union Ltd, said the onboarding was necessary before disbursement.
“Teachers just open an account on their Android phone, fill in their details, sign up, and apply for a loan. No more moving files from office to office,” he explained.
Oketcho added that the app is built to make loan processing and repayment transparent.
Stephen Nabende, National Chairperson of Walimu Cooperative Union Ltd, said the system solves a problem teachers have complained about for years.
“This system is crucial because it enables teachers to apply for a loan at any time without moving loan forms to different offices to get signatures,” he said.
Nibende further noted that absenteeism tied to chasing signatures should drop once all teachers are on board.
“The issue of claiming that teachers’ money has been deducted without their knowledge will be no more since the teacher fills his/her details in the system to acquire the loan facility,” he added.
Nabende believes easier access will push more teachers to start side businesses and improve their economic well-being and therefore urged municipal authorities to encourage all government teachers to embrace Walimu SACCO.
Teachers at the training welcomed the shift. Teddy Nakitende of Lake Victoria School said the app will cut delays because it removes the need for multiple signatures.
She credited Walimu SACCO loans for helping her buy land a year ago and said she’s now eyeing another loan to build a house.
Grace Nakasirye, Headteacher of Chadwick Namate Primary School, said the app simplifies the process and will help teachers start side income projects.
“Since the inception of Walimu SACCO, teachers no longer borrow money from money lenders whose interest is so exorbitant,” she said.
Nakasirye appealed to colleagues to protect the SACCO, which she says helped her acquire three plots through loans.
Walimu SACCO, Credit Manager Oketcho said more training sessions will be rolled out as they targets wider onboarding across government schools.
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