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Kaliro, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Three officals of Kaliro district local government have been arrested on fraud-related charges.
The suspects currently detained at Kaliro Central Police station include Chief Administrative Officer Samuel Bigirwa, District Education Officer Edward Kamaga and the Parish Development Model-focal person Fred Mbalumya. They were arrested on the orders of the State Minister for Economic Monitoring Peter Ogwang.
The three are accused of conniving and misusing 284 million Shillings which was meant for the renovation of primary schools during the post-COVID period. They are also accused of diverting funds meant for the facelift of both Kaliro Primary Teachers College and Kaliro Teachers Training Institute respectively.
They are further accused of misappropriating 56 million Shillings meant to facilitate the progress of the Parish Developement Model and deliberately recruiting an excess of three parish chiefs, without providing justifiable reasons.
According to Ogwang, the District Service Commission produced a minute recruiting 38 parish chiefs yet only 35 positions were advertised. It was also established that out of the 38 recruited, five lacked minimum qualifications.
Bigirwa is accused of diverting 600 million Shillings meant for the rehabilitation of Bumanya-Bulumba-Namukooge Road, as allocated in the Financial years 2019/20 and 2021/22. They are also accused of diverting funds meant for the construction of Namwiwa Town Council headquarters and the illegal sale of the internal auditor’s motorcycle.
Ogwang argues that the arrests were prompted by the increased levels of impunity within Kaliro district, which has since frustrated service delivery to the local communities.
Meanwhile, Busoga North’s police spokesperson, Michael Kasadha confirms the arrests but declines to divulge details.
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