Three Kabale District Local Government officials have been arrested over the alleged disappearance of 102 cows procured for beneficiaries under the Green Climate Fund (GCF) project.
The suspects are District Production Officer Beda Mwebesa, District Inventory Officer Elly Niwamanya and Dr Kamarade Masembe, the Principal Inspector for Local Government in charge of districts. They are being held at Kabale Central Police Station.
The Kabale Deputy Resident District Commissioner (DRDC), Michael Muramira Kyakashari, who ordered the arrests, said the officials were detained following an audit that uncovered discrepancies in the distribution of livestock under a programme designed to support communities that vacated protected wetlands.
Under the initiative, 399 heifers were procured for distribution to targeted beneficiaries across Kabale District. However, Kyakashari said while official documents signed by key departmental heads indicated that all 399 animals had been received in good health, a physical verification established that only 297 had been delivered.
He said Dr Masembe was directly involved in vetting beneficiaries and distributing the animals, allegedly bypassing local technical staff.
Kyakashari added that the former Kabale Chief Administrative Officer, Ronald Mutegeki, who currently serves in Luuka District, had also been summoned by police to assist with the investigations.
According to Kyakashari, Mutegeki issued correspondence confirming the delivery of all 399 cows days after his transfer in late December.
The district Internal Auditor, Denis Navili, has also been summoned but is reportedly on the run. Kyakashari said the implementation of the GCF project was conducted under pressure, adding that some beneficiaries who received heifers had already sold them.
He said investigations are ongoing to establish what happened to the 102 missing animals and determine individual responsibility.
CUE IN KYAKASHARI….ON THE ARRESTS…..RR/ENG//
