ENTEBBE, Uganda — A financial scandal has rocked Windsor SACCO in Entebbe Municipality, with a shocking report revealing that at least 154 members have defaulted on loans and mysteriously vanished, plunging the savings and credit cooperative into financial uncertainty.
The revelation was made public during the SACCO’s 25th Annual General Meeting, where Board Chairman Othieno Peter presented a comprehensive report outlining the severity of the situation. According to the chairman, the defaulting members obtained large sums of money and have since gone missing — many having switched off their phones and rendered themselves untraceable.
“Our major challenge is the defaulters who have disappeared. They can’t be traced, and many have even changed their contact numbers,” the report noted.
The report also pointed fingers at former loans officer George Murungi, who is accused of conning the SACCO and is currently on the run.
The defaulting members, the report adds, often concealed their true financial status, lied about collateral, and in some cases, pledged family property without spousal or next-of-kin consent. These actions have not only crippled loan recovery efforts but have also disrupted the SACCO’s day-to-day operations.
Despite the crisis, Windsor SACCO remains one of the leading financial institutions in the region, boasting over 3,000 members, a share capital of UGX 635 million, and savings worth over UGX 2.2 billion as of March 2024.
During the meeting, members also paid tribute to the late founding chairperson John Whyte Baleke, who passed away on 23rd February 2025. He, along with a group of co-founders in 1997, including Othieno Peter, Mulabbi Samson, the late Oluk Martin, and others, established Windsor Employees Co-operative Savings and Credit Society Ltd.
As efforts to trace the defaulters continue, SACCO members and officials are calling for stricter screening measures and stronger enforcement mechanisms to protect the integrity of the institution.
