KAMPALA- Minister of Finance (General Duties), Henry Musasizi, has issued a stern warning to Parish Chiefs and Sub-County officials against engaging in corruption while implementing the Parish Development Model (PDM) and other government initiatives.
Musasizi’s warning follows a series of corruption scandals involving several Parish Chiefs and Sub-County officials, some of whom have been arrested for accepting bribes while managing government programs such as the PDM and Emyooga.
Last month, police in Rubanda District arrested Bubare Sub-County Chief Benjamin Asiimwe after he allegedly attempted to bribe District Resident Commissioner (RDC) Eric Ssewandigi, who had summoned him for questioning over the embezzlement of 15 million shillings.
In July, RDC Ssewandigi also ordered the arrest of five Parish Chiefs and SACCO leaders in Ikumba Sub-County and Nshanjare Town Council for extorting between 50,000 to 100,000 shillings from PDM beneficiaries.
This is not the first time Minister Musasizi has addressed fraud and mismanagement allegations in the PDM. In July, while presiding over the opening ceremony of the newly constructed Bulimbe Catholic Church in Ikumba Sub-County, Rubanda District, Musasizi instructed district security officials to investigate alleged fraud and mismanagement within the PDM.
He noted that similar allegations had surfaced in other districts, including Bushenyi and Sembabule, and expressed concerns about beneficiaries being extorted by officials managing the program.
The government has invested trillions of shillings in the PDM, which aims to improve the living standards of the 39% of Ugandans still engaged in subsistence agriculture. However, speaking to journalists over the weekend in Nyamweru Sub-County, Rubanda District, Minister Musasizi warned Parish Chiefs and Sub county Chiefs implicated in extortion that they risk losing their jobs.
Minister Musasizi vowed that those involved in extortion would face consequences, stating that the government is committed to eradicating corrupt officials. He emphasized the government’s determination to transform Uganda from a subsistence economy to a money economy through poverty alleviation programs.
CUE IN MINISTER MUSASIZI…..ON PARISH CHIEFS……ENG//
The PDM program was established by the government to improve the living standards of the 39% of Ugandans still engaged in subsistence agriculture.
