Africa-Press – Uganda. Locals of Osingu-Mvura parish, Kucwiny Sub-county in Nebbi District are demanding accountability for the Shs41m meant for opening nine-kilometre community roads.
The district says the money was deposited on the sub-county account but cannot be traced.
At the weekend, the residents staged protests demanding that leaders account for the missing funds.
The chairperson of Oryejo Village, Mr Nerio Onegiu, told the Monitor in an interview at the weekend that the Shs41 million was released in the 2021/2022 Financial Year under the funds of District Discretionary Equalisation Grants (DDEG).
“We have been asking for accountability of the funds in vain because the road has not been graded and the money is not at the sub-county accounts. This road connects to schools, health centres, markets and homes. This is tax payers’ money which should be put to proper use,” he said.
He said due to poor road networks, service delivery and transportation of expectant mothers to the nearby health centres of Kucwiny and Kikobe health centres, have become difficult.
Another resident, Ms Lillian Owechi, from Oryejo Village, said cases of home deliveries among expectant mothers have become common.
However, the former sub-county chief of Kucwiny, Mr Erick Ukethwengu, who was the accounting officer before he was transferred to Nebbi Sub-county, said the money was meant for maintenance of community access roads in the three sub-counties of Alala, Padwot and Kucwiny.
“….Yes, part of the money that was sent on the sub-county account under the project DDEG was used to clear Uganda Revenue Authority,” he said.
On November 9, 2022, Nebbi District CAO, Mr David Wambure, wrote a letter to Kucwiny Sub-county for a special audit on the performance for Financial Year 2021/2022 budget. But up to date, the audit has not been done over unclear reasons
In the letter, the CAO’s concerns were based on the money released from the district to the sub-county accounts for activities of road opening at Shs41 million, Shs13.1m for a two-stance latrine and Shs3.9m for honey processing kits.
Other allocations include Shs6 million for the construction of a cattle ranch in Alala Sub-county.
The Kucwiny Sub-county chairperson, Mr Alex Oyirwoth, said: “We have contradicting reports according to the guideline that DDEG money meant for roads should be for road maintenance, not for opening roads. That is why the sub-county could not go ahead to open the road to avoid audit query implications.”
The district chairperson, Mr Emmanuel Urombi, said since the activities were not done according to the work plan of the sub-county, the audit departments must organise a forensic audit for money sent to Kucwiny Sub-county.
“Where has the money gone? And who should be keeping the money if it’s not there on the account? Audit should be carried out to establish where the monies are,” Mr Urombi said.
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