TORORO: Youth leaders demand accountability on missing youth funds

TORORO, UGANDA: A section of youth leaders in Tororo Municipality want an investigation into the delayed dispatching of youth livelihood program funds to the beneficiary groups.

In their petition to the Chief Administrative Officer dated Wednesday, 28th June 2023, the youth leaders led by George Ofwono demand that YLP monies be dispatched immediately to the 28 selected beneficiary groups’ accounts and accountability of national youth council grant be given not later than Friday 30th June.

According to Ofwono, all that was needed for the groups to access the monies was submitted within time as requested by the district technocrats but it’s to their disappointment that up to date no coins have been put into the beneficiaries’ accounts.

The youths also claim that the district technocrats have deliberately failed to implement youth Council activities yet the government through the Ministry of Gender, labour and social development released funds meant for the planned activities which include youth council sittings and tours.

The group also expressed their fear that Over 200 million youth livelihood funds and 12 million youth council grants stand a risk of being swept back to the national treasury as per section 17 of the Uganda public finance management act which states that unspent balances from ministries, departments and agencies be sent back to the national treasury by 30th June before the beginning of a new financial year stressing that the same scenario happened in 2019 were 5 groups were approved and non have benefited to date.

Mr Ofwono, who also doubles as the Nyangole subcounty youth chairperson said that they had given the district technocrats only up to Friday 30th June to dispatch monies to the beneficiary groups’ accounts but seems they have paid deaf ears on it.

“We used a lawful way by writing to CAO’s office to act upon our demands but no attention was paid to our request and now our next step is to speak with in the language they understand best and that’s the language of force,” Ofwono said in a Friday interview with DailyExpress.

Another Youth leader, Mr Silver Ekwaro said the Tororo district community-based department has played on special interest groups for a long but this time round they’re ready to reach all heights to draw them to order.

“We have been keeping quiet all along but this time those who miss using our monies must vomit it or else face fire on earth before going to hell” Ekwaro insists.

Mr Pade Timothy, the former secretary of Tororo youths council, said it’s a tendency in Tororo district local government that the vulnerable population are taken advantage of by technical officers whose work is mainly to swindle public resources.

“I remember in our youth council we approved monies to print certificates for the then outgoing youth leaders and also handover but immediately after elections the money disappeared unnoticed ” Pade asserts.