Delayed utilisation of shs3.6bn SGR compensation cash causes uproar in Tororo

Tororo District is in the middle of a storm over shs3.6 billion meant for the replacement of staff quarters at Tororo Hospital.

This as the money remains idle in the district bank account for almost a year now.

Late last year, Tororo district received shs3.6 billion  from the standard gauge railway project to compensate for the staff quarters at Tororo hospital that had been affected by Standard Gauge Railway  project.

The cash was to purchase land and build a replacement facility.

This was then followed by demolition of staff quarters, leaving the hospital staffs without a place to call home.

The hospital staffs formerly living at the quarters have since been living in distant places, far way from the hospital, as the district has failed to fulfill its promise of providing new staff quarters.

" We were told that the district had received the compensation money and that we would be relocated to a new staff quarters within 3 months. We  now counting nine months, there is nothing , one of the affected medics who preferred to remain anonymous said.

One of the district councilors, Nicholas Ofwono said it is paining that the shs3.6 billion still remains idle on the district's bank account even after its utilisation was okayed by the district council.

" We sat as council and passed the utilization of the fund unfortunately, we can not tell where the problem could be yet the money is losing value. So, feel this money must be put to use" Ofwono said.

However, the Tororo RDC, Nixon Owole  assured that the funds are more than safe on the district account, noting that  the delay was to ensure proper utilization.

" I assure everyone that the money has not been touched. Yes there may be delays but all the delays could also be good to see to it that all the money is put to good use," said Owole.

The delay in utilizing SGR compensation fund is raising eyebrows in the district with many alleging that someone could be already making a kill out of the cash.

" The old quarters was at a walkable distance to the hospital and the staffs at the quarters used to help a lot even when they were not on duty. But now, there is serious absenteeism of health workers especially during night," Ofwono said.

District officials insisted the money is in safe hands.

" When you call them now and tell them that standard gauge railway money has been eaten they just run coming to arrest people. This  has scared our technical people how even to use the money. They fear that if they use the money they can be arrested,"Noah Okumu, the secretary for health and education said.

These allegations have however been refuted by the district security heads.

" Security  can't be used as scapegoat. We are just there to see to it that the money is put to the right use for the right purpose and used according to the guidelines. There is nothing else we're looking at," the RDC said.