The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Masindi, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Two people have been arrested for allegedly extorting money from the beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model-PDM.
The suspects who were arrested on Tuesday have been identified as John Ayesiga, the Chairperson of Tukole Hamu PDM Group in Muramura Village, and Edward Irumba, the LC1 Chairperson for Muramura Village in Kitamba parish in Bwijanga sub-county.
They are accused of extorting 200,000 Shillings from each PDM beneficiaries in the area.
Prisca Bahangure, a member of Tukole Hamu PDM Group in Muramura village told Uganda Radio Network-URN in an interview that they were told to form a group and that each of them paid 200,000 shillings to benefit from the PDM.
She states that even after paying the money, to date, she has never benefited from the program.
Sayuni Birungi, also a group member says, that since March this year, the two individuals have been collecting money from people intending to benefit from PDM adding that the situation compelled them to report the matter to the office of the Resident District Commissioner- RDC Masindi.
James Mudede, the LCIII Chairperson for Bwijanga Sub County explained that they had some issues with the implementation of the PDM, mostly in Kitamba Parish where some people have been extorting money from some of the beneficiaries.
Emmy Ngabirano, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner-RDC for Masindi says, they have received several complaints against the two officials.
President Museveni launched the Parish Development Model (PDM), in Kibuku District in February 2022. It is hoped that the intervention will stimulate job creation and fight unemployment among Ugandans.
The PDM pillars include financial inclusion, infrastructure, and economic services, agricultural value chain development, parish-based management information systems, social services, community mobilization, mindset change, governance, and administration.
It is supposed to be a Parish revolving fund whose beneficiaries will get low-cost loans for investment in income generation.
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