Rubirizi health officials arrested over Covid cash

Detectives from the Inspector General of Government (IGG) have arrested two Rubirizi District health officials over allegations of corruption stemming from misappropriating covid-19 cash.

Mbarara regional inspectorate Mr Fredrick Okecth said Dr Kisesete Tibenda and Ms Jennifer Kyarimpa were arrested at their respective offices in Rubirizi, Ndekye Town Council on Thursday after they failed to account for over Shs100million.

“Around March 2021, the IGG received a complaint in which it was alleged that the money was mismanaged. Our investigations revealed that Shs105million was falsely accounted for thus causing financial loss to government,”Mr Oketch said.

He said the duo requested for the monies to train village health teams but the activity was undone.

“They got a receipt of the supplier who was prequalified and used her receipts to account for these monies,” Mr Oketch observed adding that “we have preferred that they appear before the anti-corruption court to answer charges of causing financial loss to the government and false accounting.”

This publication understands that the money in question was from the ministry of health.

“The supplier quoted on the receipts denied making the supply and the persons who were allegedly trained also denied attending training,” the regional inspectorate said.

The two suspects were still held at Mbarara IGG regional offices in Boma, Mbarara City by press time Thursday evening.

“If civil servants still want to occupy government offices let them reform and use government resources to which the government intends,” warned Mr Oketch as he vowed a crackdown on corrupt officials.

In 2021, concerns of Covid-19 funds mismanagement grew in Uganda, even as the country has as of June 23 lost more than 3,000 people to the pandemic.

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