A couple in Namisindwa District is in police custody over the alleged fraudulent acquisition of about Shs8 million from the Parish Development Model (PDM) using residents’ National Identification Numbers (NINs). The suspects, a Community Development Officer and her husband, are accused of using residents’ details without authorization to access funds under the government’s flagship poverty alleviation program.
Police identified the suspects as Barbra Namono, the Community Development Officer for Bukhawa Town Council, and her husband, Wilberforce Bwayo, both residents of Bukiabi Sub-county. The pair was arrested on Tuesday and is currently being held at Namisindwa Central Police Station. According to the District Police Commander, Addie Rich, the suspects face charges of fraud and misappropriation of PDM funds.
He said they are expected to be arraigned in court to answer charges related to fraudulent acquisition of funds and violation of PDM guidelines. The Namisindwa Chief Administrative Officer, Joseph Lomongin, condemned the alleged abuse of the program, noting that civil servants are not eligible beneficiaries of PDM funds.”I have directed the district IT officer to print out names of all district staff, including teachers, parish chiefs, CDOs, sub-county chiefs, nurses, and politicians who have accessed PDM money before we take serious action,” Lomongin said.
He added that interference by civil servants has undermined the performance of the program in the district and warned that anyone found culpable would face disciplinary action. District Chairperson Emma Bwayo said authorities are already handling several PDM-related complaints through administrative processes and urged the public to remain calm. However, he stressed that using another person’s documents without consent constitutes a criminal offence and should not be tolerated.
The arrests come months after the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer published a list of more than 500 head teachers, deputy head teachers, and education assistants who had accessed PDM funds contrary to the program guidelines. The affected officials were directed to refund the money with interest by April 20, 2026. District leaders say some of them are still making repayments following resolutions reached during meetings with district authorities-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
