MADI OKOLLO DISTRICT FAILS TO UTILISE OVER 2 BILLION USMID FUNDS

The uncompleteled district stadium in Madi Okollo. Photo by Federick Dramadri.

By Dramadri Federick
 
Arua City
 
A section of the councilors in Madi Okollo district are demanding for accountability for the over 2 billion shillings that was approved in June last financial year 2024 under the USMID supplementary budget.
 
A document tabled by the then Secretary for finance Planning and Administration of Madi Okollo district council during extraordinary sitting at the district in June 2024 indicated that the councilors approved a total of Shs 2,684,588,099 majority of which was to complete the ongoing 11 projects under the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development Program (USMID).
 
However these funds where later transferred to Indee town council accounts to avoid been swept away to the central treasury, a measure according to the Chief administrative officer was to mitigate delays.

Candia Micheal Ruben a member of finance committee has expressed displeasure over the management of the funds suspecting tendencies of corruption.
 
“It’s coming to six months after the end of last financial year and yet nothing has been implemented and as a member of the finance committee I have not seen the Shs 2,008,183,546 appearing in the procurement plans and when we asked they didn’t answer us and the whole thing is taking too long and the too long is becoming too long.” 
 
The uncompleteled main entrance to the abandoned district stadium in Madi Okollo.
Photo by Federick Dramadri.

Allegations of mismanagement of funds continue to trickle down, change of scope of works and commissioning of USMID projects prematurely surface at the top voices of councilors as their oversight roles are limited in the district.
 
Bernard Leku the Chairperson Production committee of Madi Okollo district council explains that the commissioning of projects are done in secrecy yet assessments for value for money have not been done.
 
“When they went to commission these projects, I didn’t know what they commissioned, but what I got from the field was sometimes they would reach the sites and just commission whether the beneficiaries and the contractors are there or not. This raises worries on their interest.”
 
Bruno Nawia the Chief Administrative Officer confirmed that the over 2 billion USMID fund has not been spent due to procurement delays.
 
“That is not big money which somebody can disappear with because it is not easy to do it, what I have seen is people want the monies spent like the way they want, it is not that once you receive money you just spend it there are processes followed.”
 

Bruno Nawia, CAO Madi Okollo. Photo by Federick Dramadri.
Last year a team led by the district chairman and the Chief Administrative Officer among other projects commissioned, Matangacia Market, resource center at Rigbo sub county, a market at Indee town council yet the monies sent as supplementary budget for their completion under USMID is unutilized raising concerns over the quality of works and value for money.
 
 
 
 

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