Zombo, Uganda: A Wendi agent in Zombo District has been arrested and remanded after allegedly diverting Shs7 million meant for Parish Development Model (PDM) beneficiaries and using the funds to settle a personal bank debt.
The suspect, identified as Mr Innocent Olama, was arrested following complaints from seven PDM beneficiaries in Pamitu Parish, Abanga Sub-county, who reported that they had not received their funds despite receiving withdrawal notifications on their mobile phones.
The matter was brought to the attention of the Office of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) after the beneficiaries reportedly waited for more than a month without accessing the money.
According to district authorities, the disputed funds were part of PDM money disbursed to beneficiaries through the Wendi digital wallet platform, which is used by government to facilitate direct payments to rural households under the wealth creation programme.
Investigations were initiated after the beneficiaries sought intervention from the RDC’s office on June 4, 2026.
During questioning before RDC Festus Ayikobua, Olama reportedly admitted that he had used the funds to service a defaulted loan with Centenary Bank after the bank allegedly recovered money from his account.
According to Ayikobua, the suspect also disclosed that he had put up a piece of land for sale in an effort to recover the money and refund the affected beneficiaries.
“I want the money for the seven beneficiaries paid. I have nothing with the man selling his land. If you knew you had a bank debt and the bank had already recovered money from your account, why were you not open about it?” Ayikobua reportedly asked during the interrogation.
Authorities said Pamitu Parish had received a total of Shs50 million under the Parish Development Model for eligible beneficiaries. However, seven members of the final batch reportedly failed to receive their funds despite records indicating that transactions had been processed.
Mr Vincent Jalar, one of the affected beneficiaries, alleged that SACCO members had entrusted the Wendi agent with access to their accounts and PIN numbers to facilitate withdrawals on their behalf.
“The SACCO chairman told us that Olama would withdraw and deliver the money to beneficiaries. We gave him our PIN numbers and he withdrew about Shs9 million but only paid two people. He kept telling us there were network challenges whenever we followed up,” Jalar claimed.
The RDC’s office said preliminary investigations had uncovered serious irregularities in the administration and management of the SACCO involved.
As a result, district authorities have reportedly resolved to terminate Olama’s services as a Wendi agent as efforts continue to recover the missing funds and ensure that affected beneficiaries receive their money.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about accountability and oversight in the implementation of the Parish Development Model, particularly in the handling of digital transactions at the grassroots level.
Government introduced the Wendi platform as a digital wallet solution to support Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs) and enhance financial inclusion in rural communities. The system was designed to facilitate efficient, transparent and secure disbursement of PDM funds directly to beneficiaries across the country.
Police investigations into the matter are ongoing.
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