Sh208 million for Parish Development Model ‘missing’ in Nwoya

Anti-corruption Unit Investigates Missing UGX 208M PDM Fund In Nwoya

Nwoya, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  The State House Anti-Corruption Unit is investigating how Sh208 million that was meant for the implementation of the Parish Development Model (PDM) in Nwoya district was diverted to other activities. This is part of the Sh417 million the district received from the government in the 2021/22 Financial year for the parish revolving funds, administration costs, gadgets, and staff costs.

However, an internal investigation conducted last month revealed that part of the money disbursed was overspent, and diverted while the other remains unaccounted for to date. For instance, reports indicate that while only sh44 million was allocated for administrative costs, sh144 million was instead spent on sensitization and mobilization.

Uganda Radio Network also understands that out of Shillings 262.8 million meant for the Parish revolving fund, only Shillings 104 million was disbursed to the 44 Sacco groups in the parishes. This meant that instead of the 44 Sacco groups receiving Shillings 5.9 million each, they only received Shillings 2.3 million on their accounts.

It’s against this background that investigators from the State House stormed the district on Friday last week on a fact-finding mission.

Nwoya LC V Chairperson, Emmanuel Orach confirmed to URN Monday in an interview that the Unit has picked interest in the matter but declined to divulge details. Orach notes that the district had formally complained to the unit and the Inspectorate of Government to intervene.

He noted that the circumstances, under which the money was diverted and went missing remain unclear and faulted top officials in the finance and Administration for the irregularities. Orach notes that whereas the District Executive Committee and the Council members were supposed to receive a briefing on the expenditure plans for the PDM, they were sidelined.

At least four officials in the district including the Chief Finance Officer, the Focal person PDM, the district Accountant, and the former Chief Administrative Officer, have been implicated in the diversion and missing PDM fund.

Orach notes that although the implicated officials were directed to refund the money by September 15, only Shillings 34 million had been recovered by the start of this month.

An official from the State House Anti-corruption Unit, who asked not to be named in order to speak freely confirmed their visit to Nwoya last week but she too declined to divulge more details. “We are still carrying out internal investigations, we’re still trying to gather facts, once we are set, we shall release a statement,” she said.

The government launched the implementation of the Parish Development Model (PDM) in February this year, with a major goal to attain socioeconomic transformation based on improved productivity in households and enterprises at the parish level. The government this second quarter of the Financial year 2022/23 has provided 397.275 billion shillings for the Parish Development Model (PDM).

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