Mounting Pressure Forces Kakumiro PDM Leaders Caught on Camera to Refund Extorted Money, More Questions Than Answers

Leaders in Kakumiro District have been forced to refund money they allegedly extorted from prospective beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model (PDM) scheme following mounting pressure from both the public and top government officials, including Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja.

Last week, this publication reported that some local leaders had been charging aspiring beneficiaries UGX 30,000 each—an amount that many deemed unlawful. Some members reportedly resorted to selling personal belongings to raise the fee in hopes of securing loan approvals.

A video attached to the initial report gained significant traction, drawing reactions from district officials and government authorities. In response, Prime Minister Nabbanja, who also serves as the Woman MP for Kakumiro District, directed an immediate refund of all the money collected during the authorization process.

On Saturday, all funds were returned to the affected individuals, with each recipient being photographed as proof of reimbursement. Privy sources indicated that the photos were taken by the Gombolola Internal Security Officer (GISO), to document the process.

Speaking on the matter, Mr. Kanyesige Tom, the LC3 chairperson for Nalweyo Subcounty—where the incident occurred—stated, “Everything is now running smoothly after we uncovered the malpractice with the help of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Kakumiro.” He confirmed that all affected individuals had been reimbursed but declined to provide further details.

However, when the Community Development Officer (CDO), the focal person in the process, was approached for an interview, she simply stated, “I’m not in a position to comment on this,” without offering any justification for her refusal.

All sub-county leaders avoided accountability. When asked about the allegations, Mr. Tom redirected the inquiry, saying, “You have to contact the RDC.” This response left many questions than unanswers.

A resident who requested anonymity questioned why the RDC was being drawn into the controversy: “How is the RDC involved? The key people are the chairperson, the CDO, parish chiefs. Why are they avoiding accountability?”

Another resident, a woman in her 50s who had been refunded, said, “We were suddenly called and given back our money, but no one explained why we had to pay in the first place. There is dishonesty.”

Despite repeated efforts, all implicated subcounty leaders refused to provide further comments on the corruption allegations, referring journalists to the RDC instead. This has fueled suspicions that the issue runs deeper than initially reported.

Last week, President Yoweri Museveni ordered law enforcement agencies to revoke bail and police bonds for PDM leaders accused of financial misconduct in a similar case in the Lango sub-region. However, as of the time of publishing this report, no disciplinary action had been taken against the implicated Kakumiro officials.

We will continue investigating this developing story and provide further updates.

For comments on this story, contact us at:

• Email: busiinge@kamunye.com, busiinge@telegraph.co.ug, busiinge@examiner.co.ug, busiinge@observer.co.ke
• Phone: 0767825275