NAMISINDWA: Angry Women Confiscate Councilor’s Cow, Sub County Furniture over Missing GROW Money

By Weswa Ronnie

NAMISINDWA

There was drama today Tuesday, 5^th November, 2024 at Buganti Sub County in Namisindwa after a gang of mothers stormed the home of their area district councilor, Perez Weswa and confiscated his cow.

After confiscating the cow, the same group went ahead to the sub county head offices and also confiscated office furniture in protest.

The bitter women are accusing their councilor and Anthony Busolo, the Bungati LC3 Chairperson for allegedly conning them off their money worth Shs2million with the promise of helping them to access GROW money, a new government program to facilitate business women.

Mary Khwaka, one of the bitter mothers told our reporter that in October, Weswa and LC3 Chairperson asked each member in their group to pay Shs10,000 bribe in order to consider them for money  under GROW program.

She adds that each member applied to get 1 to 3 million Shillings depending on the request but after giving the bribe to the two,  they were shocked that out of 50 women in their group, only 5 got money over the weekend leaving making them suspicious that the two leaders exploited their ignorance to steal from them.

Sandra Nandutu, another victim, says that they are sure the two leaders just conned them arguing that it is the reason they went to confiscate the cow and sub county property to sell in order to recover their money.

Andrew Wabweni, the Namisindwa district GROW focal person when contacted on phone by our reporter says that he was told about the scandal by the complainants but he was planning to go and intervene.

He says that as district leaders, they warned GROW beneficiaries against giving money to anybody because this program is totally free.

However, Weswa has dismissed the allegations that he solicited for bribes from beneficiaries with the promise of helping them get GROW money.

He says that only 40 beneficiaries came to him seeking help of getting for them GROW forms from GROW focal person.

Weswa says he asked each willing applicant to pay him 5,000/= for transport facilitation to go to the district to pick the GROW forms for them.

He says after picking the Forms, he brought them and they applied arguing that he sees no bribe that he is accused of collecting.

The councilor promised to take legal action against all persons who took away his cow.

Meanwhile, the Bungati LC3 Chairperson says that centenary bank officials visited the homes of the beneficiaries last week for assessment before giving them money but the majority were not at their homes at that time.

He says that only five members who were assessed got money  over the weekend adding that the remaining will get later after bank officers come back to assess them.

Busolo condemned the manner under which these bitter mothers behaved saying no one can eat their money yet they are leaders.

By press time, the confiscated cow was still in the hands of GROW beneficiaries and sub county furniture waiting to be sold.