By Richard Onapatum
Nakapiripirit’s Resident District Commissioner, George Owanyi, has taken a bold step in combating corruption by ordering the arrest and prosecution of six individuals who irregularly accessed UGX 1 million each from the Parish Development Model (PDM) funds.
These individuals, including Mr. Setimo, a Community Development Officer, his brother, sister-in-law, and friends, who are residents of Abim but work in Moroto City, were not eligible for the funds. Additionally, a Primary School headteacher who doubles as District Councilor (Workers), Mr. Stephen Onyango, and a prominent businessman, were also implicated.
Furthermore, Moru Godfrey, an employee of the Electoral Commission in Nakapiripirit, was arrested for helping his relative, Ngiro John, access UGX 1 million PDM funds and corruptly taking UGX 830,000 for himself.
The RDC’s swift action has recovered UGX 7 million, which will be returned to the respective parish PDM account. This move has been praised by the Nakapiripirit community, who have been victims of corruption and extortion in the PDM implementation.
Owanyi emphasized the importance of investing the PDM funds in income-generating projects to boost household incomes and fight poverty. He also clarified that the funds are to be paid back after 36 months and rolled over to other members of the parish until everyone is covered.
This incident highlights the widespread issue of corruption and extortion in the PDM program, which has been reported in other districts as well. However, the swift action taken by the RDC in Nakapiripirit serves as a positive example of how corruption can be tackled and accountability can be ensured.
