Committee raises concern over inflated goat supply in Karamoja
What you need to know:
- During a meeting with officials from the district in Kotido Municipality on Wednesday, it was discovered that one of the companies that was contracted to supply goats to the district, supplied 300 goats in addition to the ones they were expected to provide.
The Presidential Affairs Committee has raised concern over irregularities in the supply of goats in Kotido District.
During a meeting with officials from the district in Kotido Municipality on Wednesday, it was discovered that one of the companies that was contracted to supply goats to the district, supplied 300 goats in addition to the ones they were expected to provide.
Namorotot General Company Limited was supposed to supply 3,000 goats but ended up supplying 3,300.
Kitgum Municipality MP Denis Onekalit, who led a team from the committee investigating the mismanagement of relief items in the districts of Kotido, Kaabong and Karenga, said there is no minute to show cause as to why the company was asked to supply more goats.
He said this raises suspicions that there could have been connivance to fleece the government of an additional Shs85m.
The committee later handed over three of the officials who are said to be behind the irregularities to the police to record statements.
One of the officials said: “The anomaly came from the contract manager from OPM, who did not give proper guidance after rejecting the first requisition for payment.”
We did not verify the claim from Namorotot General Company Limited.
Mr Onekalit revealed that two officials in Kaabong and another two in Karenga were also arrested over mismanagement of the iron sheets and goats meant for the people of Karamoja.
The Lokitela Ebu Sub-county chairperson, Mr Moses Adungo, said the goats that were distributed were not healthy and some died on the day they were given to the beneficiaries.
“We thank the committee for coming. The outcome should see people arrested, including the chief administrative officers from Karamoja who received the iron sheets.
The Kaabong District chairperson, Mr Jino Meri, said they were supposed to receive 20,400 goats but only 10,650 were delivered.
Mr Meri said Ik County did not receive any goats.
“This company that is called Lark and Luck, which we opened a case against after failing to deliver goats, started giving direct money to beneficiaries,” he said.
He added that the district was supposed to receive 15,470 pieces of iron sheets, but to this day no single iron sheet has been delivered.
Trouble started last year when leaders in Karamoja asked President Museveni for goats and iron sheets to distribute to the people in the sub-region as an incentive for peace.
This followed increased insecurity in the sub-region, which is said to have been orchestrated by the Karachuna.
The relief items were supposed to be given to the reformed Karachuna, with each meant to receive 16 goats and 26 pieces of iron sheets.
However, it was later revealed that the iron sheets were shared among ministers including those in-charge of Karamoja Affairs.
This prompted the need for a probe into the mismanagement of items by Parliament.
“As far as things show, there has been a lot of mismanagement and misappropriation. Not even a single iron sheet came here,” Mr Onekalit said.
Last year, a supplementary budget of Shs39.9b was passed to have the President’s pledge for iron sheets and goats for the entire 477 parishes in Karamoja fulfilled. However, the money was allegedly misused by officials from the Office of the Prime Minister.
The Kotido District chairperson, Mr Paul Komol Lotee, said the officials who misused the money should resign
“They should also be prosecuted in the public courts of law. This is an opportunity for the country to start kicking out corruption. If we fail on this, then let us legitimise corruption as a norm,” he said.
