Four Bukwo govt officials interdicted over alleged embezzlement
People push a truck over a poor road in Bukwo District in Eastern Uganda. Locals say persistent corruption has affected service delivery in the area. PHOTO/FILE/COURTESY
What you need to know:
- “They are under investigations over alleged embezzlement of public resources,” the Bukwo Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Mr Charles Ogwang said confirming the interdictions.
Four Bukwo District officials in Sebei Sub-region have been interdicted over alleged embezzlement and mismanagement of public funds.
The staff include the district’s senior procurement officer, Joseph Araptai, secretary district service commission, Richard Mudima, District Natural Resource Officer, Steven Sikor and NUSAF 3 desk officer Jona Chewere.
Mr Chewere is accused of creating ghost projects that led to a loss of Shs600m under NUSAF 3 while Mr Araptia is faced with allegations of conniving with civil servants and allowing them to do contracts using other people's companies.
Mr Sikor is accused of faking a report to the Prime Minister’s office “claiming there were 100 acres of trees ready for harvest under NUSAF 3 yet there was none.”
In addition to allegations of sexual harassment, Mr Mudima is accused of illegally collecting money from applicants for opportunities at the district.
Diana Chemutai, a nurse at Alalam health centre was also interdicted amidst accusations that she stole drugs and took to her clinic.
“They are under investigations over alleged embezzlement of public resources,” the Bukwo Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Mr Charles Ogwang said confirming the interdictions.
This publication has learnt that this development was sanctioned by at least “two ministers who recently visited Bukwo District and discovered ghost projects that made the government lose over Shs1billion.”
Sources told this reporter that the two are Local Government minister Mr Rapheal Magyezi and his counterpart Mr Peter Ogwang who is the state minister for economic monitoring.
Bukwo Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Mr Samuel Hashaka Mpimbaza opined that the “implicated officers’ alleged involvement in corruption tendencies has cost the district a lot of money and compromised service delivery.”
"This (interdiction) will work as a turning point to end massive corruption in Bukwo," he said on January 20.
However, some of the accused officials dismissed the allegations made against them saying “they are simply baseless and malicious.”
For Bukwo Anti-corruption activist Betty Chemutai, many dirty (corrupt) officers need to be interdicted for progress to be achieved.
