KANUNGU, Uganda, Oct. 28, 2026
Parish Development Model beneficiaries in Kanungu District are reportedly being forced to pay bribes of up to Shs 200,000 to access government funds intended to support their household enterprises, allegations raised at an anti-corruption meeting chaired by Hon. Balaam on Tuesday.
The meeting, held as part of the Ministry of Local Government’s Expose and Eliminate Corruption Campaign, also heard concerns about poorly managed government projects, alleged irregularities in public recruitment and the use of government land.
According to concerns presented at the meeting yesterday, some PDM beneficiaries are charged Shs 200,000 to access Shs 800,000 from the Shs 1 million allocated to them under the programme.
The Resident District Commissioner Ambrose Mwesigye told the meeting that some officers implicated in the alleged extortion had been arrested.
Balaam said the cases raised would be forwarded to the State House Anti-Corruption Unit for investigation and warned that public officials found responsible would be held personally liable.
The meeting also examined concerns surrounding local government projects, including an irrigation scheme reportedly affected by mismanagement and the alleged theft of solar panels procured for its operations.
Participants also raised concerns about a fish pond project established on government land, saying it was not benefiting the youth groups it was intended to support.
The Kibimbiri Irrigation Project was also reported to have stalled because of a lack of electricity. Local leaders called on the central government, through the Ministry of Water and Environment, to intervene and restore power to enable the project to operate.
Allegations of irregularities in public recruitment were also raised, with claims that some parish chiefs favour applicants who offer the highest payments. The meeting further heard allegations that the District Service Commission does not consider applicants who fail to pay.
Minister Balaam said the government would not tolerate officials whose actions undermine service delivery and pledged that the cases presented would be subjected to further investigation.
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