UCA BOSS ROUTES FOR USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN COOPERATIVES

The General Secretary of Uganda Cooperative Alliance Limited, Mr. Asiimwe Ivan yesterday (Thursday 19^th May 2022) visited the Embassy of Ireland to among others deliberate on ways of designing software that is that suits the needs of Cooperatives in the country.

Mr. Asiimwe said that the Alliance is committed to improving technology in cooperatives including the use of modern agriculture in order to regain its glory lost in the 1970s during the instabilities.

“In the 21^stCentury we do not have technology tailored to solving problems of cooperatives in Uganda,” said Asiimwe.

He also noted that teaching about cooperatives in institutions of learning should be given more attention so that the generation can carry on the mantle of the cooperatives.

“We have shared with the National Curriculum Development Center to develop a suitable curriculum so that cooperatives are taught in Uganda” he said.

He added that the restitution of the Alliance will help ease the marketing of farm produce for cooperatives registered by the alliance at national and international levels.

He attaches the stagnation to the lack of information by the public and the legal disparities which he says should be settled for the smooth running of the activities of the Alliance.

“There are so many regulators are many and they need to be settled in order for us to move,” Asiimwe said.

The Alliance has been largely disadvantaged by the political instability and the rebel activities in the1970s, the 1980s, and the period of the armed activities of the Allied Democratic Forces and other rebel groups.

“The Alliance lost a lot of its buses, offices upcountry offices, and storage to looters during the wars after 1965” He recalled.

With a green light from Ambassador Kevin Colgan of Ireland accredited to Uganda the General Secretary has hope that the Alliance could regain the lost glory.

Uganda Cooperative Alliance started in 1961 and in 1964 it was able to start the Cooperatives Bank that offered bank facilities and other services, later proceeded to transportation.