ARUA – The Anti-Corruption Unit at State House has handed cases of alleged misappropriation of road funds by officials of Arua Municipality to the Police Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) for investigations and prosecution of accused parties.
The Head of the Anti-Corruption Unit at State House, Lt. Col. Edith Nakalema handed over the cases after a verification tour of Arua Municipality in the West Nile Sub-Region following reports of misappropriation of road funds by officials of Arua Municipality.
According to a state house statement issued this morning (Friday), Lt. Col. Nakalema and team held verification meeting with Arua Municipality officials where they discovered that over Shs400 million that was meant for the construction of the Mango, Staff Lane and Afra roads’ network, had been diverted for other activities in the Municipality.
When tasked for an explanation, the Chief Financial Officer of Arua Municipality, Mr Erejo Rajab Kamil admitted that he diverted the funds but while anticipating recovery of the money from other Municipality revenue collections that never happened.
The finance boss also revealed that the diverted money had been used for payment of councillors and other miscellaneous expenses of which Arua Municipality Mayor Kato Isa Afeku said his council did not authorize.
On the ground, Col. Nakalema and her team discovered that work had started on Mango Road where the first layer of bitumen was spread but due to the delay of funds, the layer had started peeling off requiring a fresh spread, something that has led to loss of government money government.
At Staff road, materials that included sand, culverts and hard core, had been purchased but work would not commence due to lack of funds while Afra Road bore signs of shoddy work because pot holes were already taking toll of the road and pavements on the sidewalks were disintegrating.
School funds
The state House statement indicates that during the same lightning speed mission, Col. Nakalema also handled complaints of alleged mismanagement of funds at Arua Public Secondary School against the Head Teacher, Adimo Mark Alaba.
She asked students in the country to be watchful ambassadors in the fight against the vice of corruption.
“We cannot fight corruption without you the bright minded young people, the young generation of tomorrow and the leaders of tomorrow. It is your chance to start hating corruption of all sorts. I appeal to you to be ambassadors of fighting corruption in your beautiful country,” Nakalema told students at Arua Public Secondary School the Head Teacher was absolved.
Alaba had been accused of embezzling over Shs200 million and mismanaging the administration of the school which he denied.
He, however, referred the issue of non-accountability of the over Shs90 million to be substantiated by the School Bursar, Ms Frances Dokotho, who was handed over to Police CID officials for further investigation upon failing to give a satisfactory explanation of the funds that accrued from the hire of the school bus to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
Nakalema told the staff and students of Arua Public School to shun corruption in their homes and communities and work hard for their country in order to make Uganda a better place to live in.
“We want you to have it in your minds that you have decided and are determined to say that we don’t want corruption in our homes, corruption in our hearts and that you are going to work hard for our country to make Uganda a better place than you found it,” she warned.
By David Sseguya
