Fred Cwothembu, the chief of Nyapea sub-county in Zombo district, is locked up for allegedly diverting Parish Development Model (PDM) funds. He is accused of mismanaging Shillings 36 million meant for five PDM groups in the sub-county.
He reportedly withdrew the money from the sub-county account and used it for other activities. He was arrested on Friday last week on the orders of Zombo Chief Administrative Officer Jacob Batemyeto following several complaints from locals over alleged misuse of public funds. Batemyeto told URN that he ordered police to arrest him but declined to give details about the matter.
“You allow me to do my work. The story will come later. “There is nothing else I am going to say because what you needed to know you have already known,” he said. Omony Constatine, the Nyapea sub-county LC III chairperson, has, however, denied that the money was used to carry out any activity in the sub-county, noting that their activities are normally budgeted for.
Josephine Angucia, West Nile Region Police Spokesperson, has promised to provide details on the matter later. Godfred Okura, who is the chairperson of LC 3 for the Atyak Sub-county in the Zombo district, says that political leaders need to be involved in the PDM programme for it to work.
The Parish Development Model, which was launched by President Museveni in 2021, considers the parish as the lowest reference unit for planning, budgeting, and delivery of interventions to drive socio-economic transformation. Its main goal is to speed up the creation of wealth and improve the incomes and well-being of the 39% of Ugandans who live on less than $2 a day.