The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Cyrus Mabonga, the sub county chief of Bukusu in Manafwa district has been arrested for failing to account for 20 million Shillings meant for the purchase of heifers to be distributed to farmers under the Operation Wealth Creation program.
Mabonga was arrested last evening, on the orders of the Resident District Commissioner Ahmad Washaki. The arrest followed a verification exercise which established a number of anomalies in the distribution of heifers to the beneficiaries.
According to the RDC, the sub county received an allocation of 37.5 million Shillings for the procurement of heifers which were valued at 1 million Shillings each. But the verification team established that the sub county leaders bought poor quality heifers, valued under 500,000 Shillings each.
The team also established that each of the beneficiaries paid 300,000 Shillings before they were given the heifers. The team also established that adding that Mabonga, together with the sub county chairperson Jackson Kayembe, distributed the heifers before verification by the district veterinary officer.
Washaki says that the two face charges of extortion and sabotaging government programs.
Godfrey Nalyaya, one of the beneficiaries said he was called by the sub-county chief and chairman to pay 360,000 Shillings before he received the heifer.
Another resident says was asked for 150,000 Shillings, which he paid through Jackson Kayemba, the Sub County chairman but never received the heifer.
Bukusu Sub County Speaker Robert Mandu said that the heifers were supposed to be taken to the Sub County for verification before distribution.
Samson Wekhale, the supplier of the heifers says that the supplies were all in response to the Local Purchase order -LPO given to him by the sub-county chief.
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