Man loses household properties as clan seeks to recover swindled money

Lamwo, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT  |  A man in Lamwo District has lost all his household properties after his kinsmen from Bobi Paibwoc Clan in Padibe West Sub County raided his home to recover 3.4 million Shillings he allegedly swindled.

Augustine Akera, a resident of Paibwoc West village in Lagwel Parish reportedly swindled the money which had been raised by clan members to support the education of children and acquisition of a land title to protect the clan land.

Speaking at a clan meeting today, Crammer Kitara, the Bobi clan chairperson says they raised 14 million Shillings as clan members for the project to help the selected three households and entrusted Akera as their chairperson.

Kitara, however, says that when the selected community members turned up on November 30 last year to receive the money, Akera who had fraudulently picked part of it from the clan treasurer only released six million Shillings.

He says the suspect was summoned for about 10 times to explain the whereabouts of the balance but he never heeded to the calls forcing people to raid his home.

Kitara notes that they have confiscated a motorcycle, three cows, two bicycles and two ox-ploughs which they are still keeping in the anticipation that the suspect will refund the clan money.

Martin Otto Ateng, the Padibe west sub-county chairperson blamed the suspect for conniving with the Paibwoc west LCI chairperson to swindle the money which would have changed the lives of the community. He says the suspect has become violent, posing threats to the lives of clan members who confiscated his properties.

Otto notes that the suspect has ganged up with community members in Pabwoc West and notes that there are looming clan fights if security doesn’t intervene.

Lamwo Resident District Commissioner Nabinson Kidega says thy have interfered with a developmental project the clan initiated to alleviate poverty and improve education. He has since ordered for the arrest of the suspect and resignation of the area LCI Rapper Okello.

Kidega says his office will help the clan members towards recovering the money peacefully although he notes that the path they took to confiscate the suspect’s properties is lawful according to their tradition.

Ambrose Olaa, the Acholi Cultural Institution Premier says they don’t condone confiscation of properties from locals by their kinsmen adding that such an arrangement could have been bound by an agreement.

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