Mayuge district officials accused of duping, tossing pensioners

Mayuge, (UG):- Mayuge District Officials have come under fire after a whistleblower accused them of duping and tossing Pensioners.

The accusation was made by Mr Kongola Nasser, a Busoga National Unity Platform (NUP) mobiliser who doubles as the Party Registrar for Iganga District.

According to Mr Kongola, “Pensioners in Mayuge are suffering at the hands of Civil Servants to the extent that those who retired over 5 years back are yet to be paid their gratuity and other benefits”.

Mr Kongola who is also vying for the Mayorship of Iganga Municipality in the coming general elections, told this publication that for example; “If a pensioner is helped to get their payment, a 20% kickback is taken from the total amount of their gratuity or benefits by the officials.”

“But that is after one has been tossed back and fourth for over 6 Months after their files are taken over,” he added.

Kongola cited an example of a widow (name withheld), who lost her husband some years back and has been chasing the gratuity of her late husband but all in vain.

Efforts to get a comment from the LC V Chairperson for Mayuge, Mr. Frank Tibagendeka did not yield any fruits as he didn’t pick up or return his calls at the time of filing this story.

Meanwhile, on his part, Mayuge RDC Mr Elijah Madoi declined to comment on the matter, saying no such case had been brought to his desk at the time this publication reached out to him.

“I have no comment about the matter because there is no case that has been brought to my desk.  Before going beyond they should have come to report so that I could engage the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to see how to sort the matter”. He guides that any pensioner with any complaint should report to his office, for filing to be helped.

Mayuge District was established by an act of parliament in 2000 and is subdivided into 12 Subcounties and Four Town Councils. According to the National Single Registry for Social Protection – Public Service Pension Schemes Data – June 2022, there are 257 beneficiaries in Mayuge.