Alebtong, Uganda – A high-level inspection of the Olyet Parish Development Model (PDM) SACCO has uncovered major irregularities, including cases of double funding and extortion, amid progress in enterprise development across the parish.
The inspection was led by Alebtong Deputy Resident District Commissioner (D/RDC) Mathias Lutwama, accompanied by the Assistant RDC, LCIII Chairperson of Awei Subcounty, and the Senior Assistant Secretary (SAS) Awei.
The visit focused on assessing implementation under Pillar Three of the PDM – Infrastructure and Economic Empowerment.
The inspection team commended the growing success of enterprise groups drawn from all 14 villages of Olyet Parish.
Beneficiaries of the first and second disbursements have ventured into goat rearing, maize farming, and sunflower production, with profitable market transactions reported.
A total of 101 beneficiaries under the second disbursement have embraced farmer-to-farmer extension services and are actively engaging in storage, sorting, and bulking, crucial components for improving production quality and market value.
However, during a public confirmation of the 416 total beneficiaries across both disbursement phases, several technical anomalies were exposed:
1. Some households were found to have received PDM funds twice, in violation of national PDM guidelines.
2. Ten women publicly accused certain SACCO leaders of demanding UGX 100,000 each as a precondition to access the upcoming PDM disbursement.
3. Three men alleged they were asked to pay UGX 70,000 each by SACCO leaders to fast-track their applications for the funds.
Following the revelations, three suspects implicated in the extortion, and bribery schemes were handed over to Police for legal action.
Deputy RDC Lutwama affirmed that investigations will continue to ensure full accountability.
“This is part of our mandate to uphold the NRM manifesto and ensure transparency in PDM implementation. Any leader or official who tampers with government funds meant for grassroots transformation will face the law,” Lutwama stated.
The Alebtong district leadership reiterated its commitment to rooting out corruption and strengthening monitoring mechanisms to safeguard the integrity of the PDM program.
