President Yoweri Museveni has called on Ugandans to leverage the Local Council (LC) system to ensure the successful implementation of government programs and fight corruption.
He emphasized the importance of holding leaders accountable to ensure that initiatives like the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga are effectively achieved.
Speaking during a thanksgiving ceremony organized by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Regional Affairs), John Mulimba, in Busia on Tuesday, President Museveni stressed that the involvement of LCs is crucial in identifying and bringing corrupt officials to justice, thereby enhancing service delivery.
“I urge all Ugandans to leverage our Local Council (LC) systems for accountability in government programs like the PDM and Emyooga to fight corruption. Together, we can catch the thieves and ensure service delivery,” the President stated.
During the same occasion, the also urged LCs and other stakeholders to focus on education, ensuring that no child drops out of school due to fees in the Universal Primary and Secondary Education (UPE and USE) programs. Museveni called on leaders to expose schools that charge fees within the free education system.
“The leaders should focus on education; no child should drop out due to fees! The leaders at all levels should support the government in implementing the Universal Primary and Secondary Education programs,” President Museveni reiterated.
The PDM program is intended to give low-cost loans to recipients for long-term income-generating initiatives in their communities.
Recently, numerous officials from Kikuube, Kagadi, Kiryandongo, Masindi, and Hoima were detained for extorting money from PDM beneficiaries.
On August 13, 2024, State House Anti Corruption Unit in collaboration with the CID and office of the DPP arraigned in court one Shamim Chebet the Parish Chief of Kongowo Parish, Kapsinda Sub County in Kapchorwa District for obtaining money by false pretense and conspiracy to commit a felony.
The accused together with the LC II of Kongowo and the SACCO Chairperson who are still at large were accused of collecting money from beneficiaries of PDM Saccos.
Court heard that between the month of August 2023 and January 2024 at Kongowo Parish, Kapsinda sub-County in Kapchorwa District, conspired to illegally demand and collect millions of shillings from hundreds of beneficiaries of Kongowo PDM SACCO as a condition for them to benefit from PDM funds. She was remanded until 22/08/2024.
In Kikuube, villagers alleged that officials demand between 100,000 and 250,000 shillings from each person wishing to profit from the parish development model (PDM).
Among the Kikuube officials arrested in July included Godfrey Katungi, the parish chief for Igwanjura in Kabwoya sub-county, Lawrence Baguma, the parish chief for Igwanjura in Kabwoya sub-count, the parish chief for Igwanjura in Kabwoya sub-county and Charles Kusemererwa, the community facilitator for the Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project-DR DIP in Kabwoya sub-county.
A similar incident happened in early August 2024, where PDM SACCO leaders from Namutumba District before the Chief Magistrates Court, Iganga on charges of obtaining money by false pretense.
The trio being leaders in the Kiwani PDM SACCO in Bulolo Village, Namutumba District fraudulently obtained money from several PDM beneficiaries claiming it is was a prerequisite for processing their funds where as not.
Meanwhile, the State House Anti Corruption Unit also recently busted a secondary school head teacher in Rukungiri for charging learners school fees.
Herbert Musasizi, the Head Teacher, Kebisoni Integrated Primary School and seven members of PTA Executive Commitee were presented before the Magistrates Court in Rukungiri District.
The accused were charged with levying charges on UPE pupils and sending away defaulters from the school. This followed an outcry of parents over the charges and sending away of their children, yet UPE is free for all.
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