Oyam District, Uganda: The Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Oyam, James Shilako, Tuesday ordered the arrest of two individuals in Juma Parish, Kamdini Sub-County, over the alleged misuse of revenue-sharing funds disbursed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
The suspects, identified as Martin Olima (48), chairperson of the Oryem Lyec Animal Traction group, and Dorish Adong (31), a resident of Onea A village, were apprehended on June 10 during a field monitoring exercise of UWA-funded community projects.
According to RDC Shilako, the group had received UGX 5 million under the UWA community revenue-sharing scheme for a goat rearing project. However, during the inspection, the suspects claimed to have used the funds to purchase oxen instead.
Upon further scrutiny, the group presented two small cows as evidence, insisting they had acquired four. The monitoring team, unconvinced by the explanation, found glaring discrepancies and irregularities in the financial accountability submitted by the group, prompting immediate arrests.
“This project shows no value for money. Their accountability doesn’t match what we’ve found on ground,” RDC Shilako stated, adding that both suspects were being detained to record formal statements.
Shilako further directed the office of the Senior Assistant Secretary (SAS) of Kamdini Sub-County to produce a detailed report on how all UWA funds for the Financial Year 2024/2025 were utilized. He noted that the findings from the tour suggest deeper financial malpractice in the sub-county.
Kamdini Sub-County LC3 Chairperson, Terence Omonya, also cast doubt on the group’s explanation, revealing that he had seen the same animal being displayed at a previous function. He questioned the credibility of the group’s claim that UGX 5 million had been used to purchase livestock, saying the animal shown “did not reflect the expected value of the funds disbursed.”
Wilson Kagoro, the Community Conservation Warden for Murchison Falls National Park, disclosed that UWA had disbursed a total of UGX 81 million to Kamdini Sub-County. “But what we are seeing on the ground is disappointing,” he said.
Patrick Aget, a member of the Akuridia group, expressed frustration with how sub-county authorities allegedly impose projects without consulting communities. He accused officials of coercing group members to inflate expenditure figures, even when the actual funds received were far less than declared.
Attempts to get a comment from the Kamdini Sub-County Senior Assistant Secretary (SAS) were unsuccessful by press time.
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