By Weswa Ronnie
MBALE
Four sub counties in Mbale district missed getting Parish Development Model (PDM) Phase1 money after the banking system reversed the money to the Consolidated Fund.
The affected sub counties are Busiu with four affected SACCOs, Bumasikye with four affected SACCOs, Bunambutye with four affected SACCOs and Busiu Town Council with ten SACCOs.
This was revealed by George Wanakina, the Mbale District Production Officer doubling as district PDM focal person on Thursday, 5th September, 2024 during the ongoing Bugisu region rotational Emyoga and PDM evaluation meetings headed by Rita Namuwenge, the national Emyoga coordinator also doubling as Eastern region PDM consultant.
Wanakina addressing hundreds of parish chiefs, district Leaders, and SACCO leaders at Mbale district local government Lukhobo Hall revealed that a total of Shs184,888,770 was taken back.
He says that during PDM Phase I, the ministry of finance unfortunately deposited money to the bank accounts of different SACCO beneficiaries at housing finance bank when the finical year of 2022/23 was ending.
Wanakina says that beneficiaries realized late that their money had been deposited and by the time they moved to withdraw the money, the system had already reversed the deposits.
He says up to now, members of those SACCOs have not yet received their money leaving them as a district in confusion.
Juliet Cheptoek, the Mbale district Deputy Chief Administrative Officer says the district has written to Ministry of Finance to reverse the money back to the accounts of the beneficiaries who were supposed to get money adding that the beneficiaries are on their necks.
Rita Namuwenge expressed shock with the information saying this has affected people from the affected four sub counties in terms of fighting poverty as the President intended for this PDM program.
She says it looks bad for those beneficiaries not getting their money yet government has moved into phase III.
Namuwenge urged the district leadership to ensure that these beneficiaries get their money by end of this month adding that she is available to help the district ensure this is done.
Muhammad Mafabi, the Mbale district LCV chairperson warned Parish chiefs against extorting money from beneficiaries saying the law will catch up with them.
He says that as a district, they are this time very serious in fighting extortion citing the example of Mary Namuwenge, the parish chief of Lwaboba parish in Bumasikye Sub County who was interdicted over parish development model program phase II irregularities.
Goerge William Wopuwa, the Resident District Commissioner of Mbale says that security is ready to arrest any person be it Parish chief or SACCO leader who will be found fighting this program by extorting money from beneficiaries.
Sam Wefwafwa from Busiu town council and one of the beneficiaries who missed getting money urged the district to expedite the process of demanding the money back such that they can also get money and fight poverty.
