Parliament has directed the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) to investigate allegations that government-issued hand hoes worth about Shs 20 billion were diverted and illegally sold in Bukedea District, raising fresh concerns over corruption and the misuse of public resources meant to support agriculture.
The allegations are detailed in a petition dated January 4, 2026, submitted to the IGG’s Soroti Regional Office by Bukedea County Member of Parliament John Bosco Ikojo.
In the petition, Ikojo claims that hoes intended for free distribution to vulnerable farming households were intercepted before reaching district stores and instead sold to members of the public at Shs 2,000 per piece, in violation of government guidelines.
According to the petition, the hoes allegedly ended up in the possession of a local political figure, who is accused of distributing or selling them for personal and political gain.
The MP argues that the actions amount to misappropriation of public assets and undermine government efforts to improve household food production.
“This amounts to abuse of office and theft of public property,” the petition reads, calling for a comprehensive investigation to trace the supply chain, identify those responsible, and recover the losses.
The disputed hoes were procured under a Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) initiative aimed at boosting food security among smallholder farmers. In a directive dated December 17, 2025, to all Chief Administrative Officers, MAAIF announced plans to distribute seven million hand hoes nationwide.
However, due to funding constraints, only Shs 20 billion was released out of the required Shs 56 billion, limiting the first phase to about 2.4 million hoes. The initial distribution targeted mainly districts in the Eastern Region, including Bukedea.
Deliveries began on December 19, 2025, with clear instructions that the hoes be delivered to district stores and distributed free of charge using household data from the 2024 National Population and Housing Census.
Government officials warned that the hoes were not for sale and that any diversion would attract personal liability.
The alleged diversion potentially contravenes several laws, including the Public Finance Management Act (2015), the Local Government Financial and Accounting Regulations, and the Stores Management Regulations, which require transparent receipt, storage, and distribution of government supplies.
The IGG’s Soroti Regional Office confirmed receipt of the petition on January 5, 2026, and said inquiries had commenced. If substantiated, the allegations could attract sanctions under the Anti-Corruption Act (2009).
Bukedea District has previously faced similar allegations. In 2021, a district store manager was arrested over the disappearance of 1,648 hoes under the NAADS programme.
The latest claims have sparked widespread public debate, with citizens and civil society actors drawing parallels to past scandals involving diverted relief items, including the Karamoja iron sheets saga.
Critics warn that the misuse of farming inputs risks eroding public trust and could fuel perceptions of vote-buying ahead of the January 15, 2026 elections.
