The Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Director at the Parish Development Model (PDM) Secretariat, Hon. Violet Akurut Adome, has urged communities to handle allegations of corruption and mismanagement responsibly, warning that unverified accusations can unfairly damage reputations and potentially lead to the wrongful arrest of innocent officials.
Akurut made the remarks during a community baraza in Angwenya Ward, Kangai Town Council, Dokolo District, where the PDM Secretariat was investigating a petition alleging the mismanagement of Parish Development Model funds.
The petition, filed about three to four months ago by Richard Obongo-Nyinge, a resident of Otongodel Cell, raised allegations of extortion, bribery and the profiling of more than one beneficiary from the same household in Angwenya Ward.
However, Akurut said the engagement with residents provided an opportunity to establish the facts, noting that testimonies from community members did not directly implicate the Parish Chief, Local Council leaders or SACCO leadership in extorting PDM beneficiaries or fraudulently taking their money.
According to Akurut, residents also dismissed claims that multiple members of the same household had been profiled to benefit from the programme. She said some deductions made from beneficiaries’ funds were instead related to bank charges and not money allegedly demanded by local leaders.
She, however, called for greater transparency and public sensitisation, urging local leaders to display beneficiary lists on parish notice boards and use radio programmes to educate communities about beneficiary selection procedures and their rights under the PDM programme.
Akurut also reminded beneficiaries who received PDM funds between 2021 and 2023 to begin repaying their loans, explaining that recovered funds would remain within their respective SACCOs and enable more eligible community members to benefit from the programme.
The Resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Dokolo, Babra Akech, urged residents to thoroughly verify information and seek guidance from relevant authorities before making serious allegations.
Meanwhile, the Dokolo District PDM Focal Person, Mr. Moses Okello, advised residents to handle concerns through the appropriate channels rather than rushing complaints to top government officials before first engaging local leaders.
She advised community members to follow the appropriate channels by consulting leaders from the lower local government structures up to the district level whenever they encounter challenges or suspect wrongdoing.
Akech said her office remains open to members of the public but encouraged residents to present well-investigated and clearly established cases to enable authorities to respond effectively.
During the dialogue session, several community members maintained that the allegations contained in the petition were false, saying there had been no irregularities in the management of PDM funds in Angwenya Ward.