From the Parliamentary committees interaction with the entity the committee noted that the supplementary was meant for recruitment purposes. However, the Buhweju district accounting officer disclosed that they ended up using the money for clearing staff allowances instead of recruitment.
President Yoweri Museveni recently performed incredibly well by causing the arrest of errant Members of Parliament who are suspected to have misused Ugandan tax payer’s funds.
Around seven MPs including the Igara East MP Michael Mawanda are either behind bars for corruption related cases or facing corruption related charges in the courts of laws.
But some Ugandans, who are excited with the President’s recent action against corrupt politicians in Parliament, are now demanding for more and want the President’s hand also to swiftly bite district corrupt leaders.
Locals of Buhweju are particularly demanding that the President should also arrest Buhweju district leaders for diverting staff recruitment funds.
Buhweju district recruitment funds query;
Observation by the Parliamentary report,
The audit noted that the district budgeted to receive UGX 9.71Bn, UGX 9.71Bn was spent by the entity (Buhweju district) resulting into balances representing an absorption level of 100%.
Parliament observed that;
- Much as the entity absorbed 100% of their budget the committee noted that the district received UGX 574Mn in form of a supplementary budget.
- From the Parliamentary committees interaction with the entity the committee noted that the supplementary was meant for recruitment purposes. However, the accounting officer disclosed that they ended up using the money for clearing staff allowances instead of recruitment.
- The committee could not obtain any documentary proof to show approval of the diversion from using funds for recruitment to paying allowances.
- The committee could not establish details of the staff whose allowances were paid.
Recommendation;
The committee recommended that a forensic Audit be carried out to establish how UGX574Mn was expended.
Action:
PS/ST has brought the recommendation of Parliament the attention of Auditor General.
Sources in the district have said that against the above audit query President Museveni should also quickly act tough on these errant district leaders for this kind of corruption which is with impunity.
Meanwhile the Buhweju District Chairman Deo Atuhaire recently met the President and asked him to expeditiously follow up tea payments to tea seedlings suppliers of Buhweju district and that the President frankly told him that the delays have been occasioned by irregularities that marred the tea seedlings.
President Museveni about two years ago donated a sh.40Bn tea seedlings project in which millions of tea seedlings would be made and supplied for free to prospective tea farmers in Buhweju but the project turned scandalous when district leaders messed it up.
Besides the messes of the district leadership, the areas MPs who are expected to exercise their oversight role and monitor such project’s in the district have been laid back. Are they (Buhweju MPs) accomplices in this corruption or they are simply incompetent national leaders that ought to be voted out soon?
This laying back of national leader of Buhweju district has made the local angry and are actually tired of the entire district leadership.
One Tusiime said “we are waiting for 2026 national elections we express our disaffection with these leaders by voting all of them out.”
Another Kyomugisha said besides waiting for 2026 elections to show their disgust the central government should quickly punish the corrupt leaders.
“President Museveni abakwate abebembezi eshomankuzi eza Buhweju , which loosely means that the President should arrest all corrupt leaders of Buhweju district”.
What is the impact of these messes and corruption to the district?
-The corruption in Buhweju has caused youth unemployment.
– Poverty.
– Loss of support for NRM party and President Museveni.
– Poor Performance of Buhweju district in the recently released districts performance report made by the Prime minister’s office.
– Loss of people’s property to commercial banks and loan shanks resulting from loans taken towards tea seedlings production ( tea farmers) have never received their payments for the tea seedlings.
– Some families have lost members who have killed themselves over huge debts related to un paid tea seedlings project.
– Poor performance of the tea industry in Uganda.
The District chairman Deo Atuhaire and his CAO could not be reached for comment on the corruption cases that have enveloped the district.
Buhweju has remained unreached due to poor roads and topography although the district is well endowed with several minerals and good soils for agriculture and has several unemployed youths.
