News
Bunyoro PDM officials accused of extortion
Twinamatsiko revealed that several cases regarding PDM had been registered in the region, adding that 90% of suspects were arrested and charged before courts of law.
Hajj Badru Mugabi, the Hoima City resident commissioner addressing the meeting. (Photo by Peter Abaanabasazi)
By: Peter Abaanabasazi, Journalist @New Vision
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The intended Parish Development Model (PDM) beneficiaries in Bunyoro sub-region are reportedly missing out on the funds over alleged extortion by implementers of the programme, a PDM evaluation meeting in the sub-region has heard.
This emerged during an evaluation meeting of the one-week anti-corruption Caravan 2026 at Kabalega Hotel in Hoima city on Friday. The Caravan was aimed at sensitising the citizens about their role in promoting accountability and demanding better service delivery.
The meeting was organised by ActionAid Uganda in partnership with Mid-Western Region Anti-Corruption Coalition (MIRAC) and the Inspectorate of Government to share and find a solution to the pressing issues that were raised by residents during the caravan.
Robert Kule, the partnership and Business coordinator at ActionAid Uganda, noted that during the caravan, residents from different parts of Bunyoro, such as Kagadi, Masindi, Hoima and Kikuube districts, complained that corruption (extortion) was an evil affecting PDM.
PDM is a government initiative launched in February 2022, to move 3.5 million households from subsistence to the money economy. The programme’s beneficiaries receive sh1 million each in the form of a soft loan to invest in selected enterprises such as piggery, poultry keeping, fruit growing, coffee and dairy farming among others.
Kule said they discovered that PDM guidelines were not being followed by implementers.
He added that residents told them that some officials forge groups and the money ends up going to people who are not the intended beneficiaries.
He said residents also informed them that some beneficiaries were not getting the full amount of sh1 million.
“During our interaction with the community, residents said that there is corruption that is going on in PDM. They said that they do not receive full money; for example, if one is supposed to get sh1 million, sh200,000 goes back to the officials, who are already rich. Therefore, that requires the government to look at the programmes they are implementing and further study them to know if they are reaching the intended beneficiaries and what it needs to improve,” he said.
PDM is a government initiative launched in February 2022, to move 3.5 million households from subsistence to the money economy. The programme’s beneficiaries receive sh1 million each in the form of a soft loan to invest in selected enterprises such as piggery, poultry keeping, fruit growing, coffee and dairy farming among others.
Kule said they discovered that PDM guidelines were not being followed by implementers.
He added that residents told them that some officials forge groups and the money ends up going to people who are not the intended beneficiaries.
He said residents also informed them that some beneficiaries were not getting the full amount of sh1 million.
“During our interaction with the community, residents said that there is corruption that is going on in PDM. They said that they do not receive full money; for example, if one is supposed to get sh1 million, sh200,000 goes back to the officials, who are already rich. Therefore, that requires the government to look at the programmes they are implementing and further study them to know if they are reaching the intended beneficiaries and what it needs to improve,” he said.
Speaking in the same meeting, Detective Superintendent of Police Geddes Twinamatsiko, the Deputy Albertine Regional Criminal Investigations Directorate officer, revealed that several cases regarding PDM had been registered in the region, adding that 90% of suspects were arrested and charged before courts of law.
Twinamatsiko noted that the common cases involve parish chiefs and local leaders, who connive and steal money from the elderly and illiterate beneficiaries.
“At parish level, these officials convince elderly and illiterate people to get SIM cards for them in their (officials') names, and when the money is wired on such SIM cards, they do not inform the beneficiaries; they withdraw the money and take it,” he explained.
He called on district chief administrative officers to come up with an initiative of verifying the groups, which are always submitted before dispensing the money to beneficiaries.
Haji Badru Mugabi, the Hoima resident city commissioner, implored the Inspectorate of Government's office not only to focus on those who receive bribes, but also those who give it out if they are to fight corruption.
Other corruption tendencies reported by residents during the caravan include job selling during recruitments at districts, contractors failing to deliver projects on time, and extortion from patients in health facilities.
Twinamatsiko noted that the common cases involve parish chiefs and local leaders, who connive and steal money from the elderly and illiterate beneficiaries.
“At parish level, these officials convince elderly and illiterate people to get SIM cards for them in their (officials') names, and when the money is wired on such SIM cards, they do not inform the beneficiaries; they withdraw the money and take it,” he explained.
He called on district chief administrative officers to come up with an initiative of verifying the groups, which are always submitted before dispensing the money to beneficiaries.
Haji Badru Mugabi, the Hoima resident city commissioner, implored the Inspectorate of Government's office not only to focus on those who receive bribes, but also those who give it out if they are to fight corruption.
Other corruption tendencies reported by residents during the caravan include job selling during recruitments at districts, contractors failing to deliver projects on time, and extortion from patients in health facilities.