Alupo warns officials against stealing cattle restocking funds
Addressing the media in Teso on Sunday (June 28), Alupo urged beneficiaries to report any leader or government official who demands or takes part of their grant.
Vice President Jessica Alupo addressing the media in Teso on Sunday (June 28). (Photos by Godfrey Ojore)
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Vice President Jessica Alupo has warned political leaders and civil servants against stealing money intended for beneficiaries of the government's cattle restocking programme.
Reports from the Teso sub-region indicate that some beneficiaries have been coerced into surrendering part of the sh5 million grant to local council leaders and parish chiefs. Several suspects have since been arrested and charged over the alleged theft.
Addressing the media in Teso on Sunday (June 28), Alupo urged beneficiaries to report any leader or government official who demands or takes part of their grant.
Alupo stressed that the government would not tolerate corruption in the implementation of the cattle restocking programme and vowed that anyone found stealing from beneficiaries would face the full force of the law.
RDC Soroti Hajji Imuran Mulunga displaying the recovered five million that the LC2 stole from Betty Akajo (middle)
“People have waited for these funds for long and now when they arrive then some officers take part of it or all of it is criminal and we shall not watch it happen,” Alupo said.
Last week, four people, including a parish chief in Amuria district, were arrested and charged before the Amuria Grade One Magistrate's Court over the alleged theft of cattle restocking funds.
The accused are Simon Okello, the parish chief of Obur parish, James Opio, the LC1 chairperson of Alomain, Daniel Esingu, the LC1 chairperson of Obur, and Samuel Odeke. They are accused of defrauding cattle restocking beneficiaries of sh6.5 million.
In Soroti district, Jackson Ogwaya, the LC2 chairperson of Oregia parish in Asuret subcounty, was arrested two weeks ago for allegedly stealing Shs5 million meant for Betty Akajo, a mother of six.
“Theft of money from the local leaders at the grassroots is real but we have appealed to the members of the public to report them to us for action,” Mulunga said.
He added that the recovered money had been retained as an exhibit in the case against Ogwaya.
Alupo also pledged to obtain a full accountability report on payments made to beneficiaries in Teso, Lango and Acholi from the Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja, to enable leaders in the three regions to track beneficiaries before the second-quarter disbursement.
She said government had increased funding for the programme from sh80 billion to sh100 billion, with the next round of payments scheduled for July.
More than 15,000 beneficiaries across the three regions have already received payments.