Umwalimu SACCO, a teachers’ savings scheme, will by October 13 have opened four new branches plus five more by the end of this month to help bring services closer to the teachers in different districts, The New Times has learnt. 

The four new branches in Rubavu, Nyamagabe, Rusizi, and Huye Districts will add to the already existing three in Gicumbi, Musanze and Muhanga that are already operational.  

"We are planning to open branches in all provinces before the end of 2009, so that by 2010, we will have 170 branches in the entire country,” said Joseph Murekeraho, the Chairman of Umwalimu SACCO.

SACCO’s Head of Marketing and Public Relations, Joseph Mugire, yesterday at their head office in Remera said that the motive behind this opening is to bring services closer to teachers.

"Now that we have registered a big number of teachers, there is need for them to easily and efficiently access SACCO services and that’s why we are opening up more branches countrywide," he said.

He also told The New Times that initially plans of having nine operational branches by the first week of October were interrupted due to lack of operational funds.

”We thought that the whole nine branches would be operational by the first week of October but it’s impossible because of a few logistical problems. That’s why we want to first open four of them and then the remaining 5 branches will be opened towards the end of October 2008,” he explained.

Umwalimu SACCO is mandated to empower its members to uplift their socio-economic welfare and to contribute to the socio-economic development of the communities in which they live.

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