Allegations of corruption, extortion and manipulation of beneficiaries have rocked the government's livestock restocking programme in Soroti District, prompting authorities to recover more than Shs7 million and arrest two local council leaders accused of diverting funds meant for vulnerable households.
The government-funded programme is intended to support households in the Teso, Acholi and Lango sub-regions by providing grants of Shs5 million to selected beneficiaries to purchase livestock and rebuild livelihoods lost during years of insecurity.
Soroti District Chairperson Bob Owiny said the district expected 486 beneficiaries from 54 parishes, with nine beneficiaries selected from each parish. Of these, 470 were approved for payment, while 437 had received their funds by the time of reporting.
However, Owiny said investigations had uncovered several cases of corruption and extortion, leading to the recovery of more than Shs7 million from individuals who had illegally accessed or withheld beneficiaries' funds.
"We have arrested two LCII chairpersons after investigations established that they manipulated the programme and deprived beneficiaries of their rightful funds," Owiny said.
One of the cases under investigation involves Jackson Ogwaya, the LCII chairperson of Oregia Parish in Asuret Sub-county, who is accused of fraudulently accessing Shs5 million intended for Ms Akajo Betty, a vulnerable mother of four who is also pregnant.
According to Akajo, Ogwaya collected her national identity card, registered a telephone line in her name and later withdrew the money without her knowledge.
"He took my ID and kept it for about a week. Later he took me to town, saying he wanted to take my photograph. When people started receiving their money, bank officials asked whether I had got mine. That's when I discovered the LCII chairman had already received it," she said.
Akajo said that after she complained, Ogwaya gave her only Shs200,000 and instructed her to use part of the money for transport back home.
District leaders and security agencies later investigated the matter, leading to the recovery of the Shs5 million from Ogwaya's family and clan. The money is awaiting official handover to Akajo.
Soroti Resident District Commissioner Imra Mulunga said security agencies had intensified investigations into fraud and extortion linked to the programme.
"We have arrested two suspects and recovered money that had been extorted from beneficiaries. Any leader found interfering with the programme will face the law," Mulunga warned.
Mulunga explained that beneficiaries undergo a rigorous verification process involving Parish Development Committees (PDCs), sub-county officials, the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer and security agencies before payments are approved.
He said approximately 150 of the 486 proposed beneficiaries were rejected during verification after failing to meet the programme guidelines.
Acting Asuret Sub-county Chief Stella Akiriat said technical staff only enter names approved by parish committees and have no authority to alter beneficiary lists outside the established procedures.
Meanwhile, Oregia Parish Chief Agnes said Ogwaya had initially been selected as a beneficiary but was later removed after district authorities clarified that members of Parish Development Committees were ineligible to benefit during the first phase of the programme. His slot was subsequently allocated to Betty Akajo.
District leaders have urged residents to report any cases of extortion, bribery or manipulation associated with the programme.
Authorities also expressed concern that some beneficiaries are diverting the grants to personal expenses such as house construction, school fees and medical bills instead of purchasing livestock as required under the programme.
Despite the challenges, district leaders described the livestock restocking initiative as a critical poverty reduction intervention and pledged to strengthen accountability as implementation continues over the next five years.
"We shall continue working with security agencies and local leaders to ensure government resources reach the intended beneficiaries," Owiny said.
