By Inyakuni Kennedy

Moyo & Adjumani district

The deputy inspectorate of government Dr. Patricia Achan Okiria commented the leadership of Moyo and Adjumani district for successful implementation of Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project (DRDIP) sub projects aimed at improving lives of the local residents of the people. DRDIP is a World Bank funded program spearheaded by office of the prime minister. Dr. Patricia made remark during a two days filed visit to monitor some of the sub projects in the two district to ascertain if there is value for money as government of Uganda aims at eradicating poverty at community and household levels.
The purpose of the monitoring is to access and mitigate and enhance accountability of the project resources, She said the objective of DRDIP is to improve livelihoods, accessibility to basic social services, expanding economic opportunities, and and enhancing environment as well especial in refugee community because of population pressure on those different districts. She adds  “inspectorate the government they are implementing transparency and accountability in DRDIP projects aimed at enhancing accountability and promoting transparency through regular monitoring of the project to ensure they are complainant”.
However Dr. Patricia noted some irregularities from the support rented by the implementing partners and district leaders such as lacking of information sharing to the community, failure to maintain woodlots, paying implementing partners before finishing work and poor workmanship among others.
Under Sustainable Environment and Natural Resources Management (SENRM) over 3.7 billion shillings was injected in Moyo In the financial year 2020/2021, 2021/2022 FOR 37 sub projects.
In Adjumani district the report indicates failure to maintain woodlots and mismanagement of project funds hence affecting effective implementation of the projects.


Mr. Ankuba Charles, internal Auditor Adjumani district

However Mr. Charles Ankuba, the internal auditor Adjumani district local government blamed the failure to maintain the woodlots on the attitude of project beneficiaries. He has expressed fear of not seeing value for money in some sub projects due to poor attitude in maintaining the trees. “As government facilitates to open the land planting and weed for two times, and then you find the 52 million is over. But the rest of the times for the trees to maintain itself and develop better roots to go through the dry season successful will requires an average of three years  but our people have run away from the element of voluntarism” he said. He advises that there is need for government to redirect it focus on supporting individuals who have land for the projects other than those in groups for sustainability purposes.

Mr. Gulamu Abubakar the DRDIP desk officer Adjumani district agreed to other findings of Inspectorate of Government saying some measures have been improvised for effective service delivery to the local population.
According to Abubakar, some of the identified challenges have originated from all the stakeholders like project beneficiaries, implementing partners and some from the technical people in the district due to knowledge gaps.

Moyo deputy resident district commissioner Julian Ssekamua said district leaders should be held accountable if the community is blaming government for poor service delivery saying government has done its part but the leaders have not done enough in delivering to the citizens.
He has challenged both political and technical to work hard so the citizens will continue to have hope on them particularly the elected leaders
In the financial year 2020/21 and 2021/22 Adjumani district got over 5 billion shilling for Sustainable Environment and Natural Resources Management

COVER PHOTO: Dr. Patricia Achan Okiria, Deputy IG inspecting project in Moyo By Inyakuni Kennedy