Summary:
- John Idembe was apprehended on Wednesday afternoon on the orders of the Kasese Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Bukonzo County, Lt. Maate Magwara.
KASESE: The Parish Chief of Lyakirema in Nyakiyumbu Sub-county, Bukonzo County West, Kasese District, has been arrested for allegedly extorting money from beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model program.
Mr. John Idembe was apprehended on Wednesday afternoon on the orders of the Kasese Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Bukonzo County, Lt. Maate Magwara.
His arrest followed a meeting with beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model held at Nyamighera Primary School.
During the meeting, beneficiaries accused Mr. Idembe of demanding payments ranging from 100,000 to 120,000 Ugandan shillings from them.
Angered by the revelations, Lt. Magwara ordered Mr. Idembe’s arrest, and he was subsequently handed over to Nyakiyumbu Police Post for further investigations.
The beneficiaries reported to the RDC that they had collectively contributed over 3.2 million Ugandan shillings, which they claimed had been handed to the program’s implementers in the parish.
Lt. Magwara stated that he convened the meeting in response to complaints from community members accusing SACCO leaders of mismanaging the program and diverting it from its intended purpose.
He also directed the police to track down and arrest the Parish SACCO Committee Chairman, Mr. Edward Masereka, Secretary John Bwambale, and Treasurer Sofia Biira, all of whom had boycotted the meeting.
Ms. Glades Musiime Nyabahasa, the Local Council II Chairperson for Lyakirema Parish, noted that there was a lack of coordination between the SACCO leaders and her office.
Meanwhile, Mr. Johnson Ndiima, the Nyakiyumbu Sub-county Secretary for Social Services, urged the RDC to extend the investigations to other parishes to ensure proper implementation of the program.
