District leaders in trouble over misusing road equipment
HOIMA – Hoima district local government officials are being investigated over alleged mismanagement of the Hoima district road equipment.
The officers who are being investigated are the Hoima District Engineer, Ibrahim Luswata, Vincent Irumba, the Works Supervisor, Charles Tibagwa, a mechanic attached to Hoima district local government, the District Executive Committee (DEC) headed by Kadiri Kirungi and another person only identified as Nyarwa, the grader operator.
The officials are being investigated by the Albertine region police and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, following the impounding of the road equipment in another district.
The road equipment that includes a grader and a vibro roller machine were found on a private farm owned by an Indian investor in Kaduku village, Kigumba Town Council, Kiryandongo district last week. At the time they were impounded, the grader and the vibro roller had their number plates plucked off.
Julius Hakiza, the Albertine Region Police Spokesperson said that several officials including Hoima District Engineer, Ibrahim Luswata, Vincent Irumba, the Works Supervisor, Charles Tibagwa, a mechanic attached to Hoima district local government and Nyarwa were arrested to help with investigations.
Hakiiza said the suspected officials were arrested by a group of security operatives from the State House Anti-Corruption Unit headed by Col Edith Nakalema following a tip off from concerned citizens. He added that the suspects were arrested last week and later released on police bond.
The suspects together with other top district officials are alleged to have connived and hired out the road equipment to the Indian investor whose particulars are yet to be revealed for fear of jeopardizing the investigation.
Hakiza said that they have launched the investigations into the matter adding that last week, Richard Mugolo, the Hoima Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) wrote to police requesting them to investigate how the machines were taken to Kiryandongo district.
According to Hakiiza, Mugolo, he told police that his office was not aware of how the machines were taken and who hired the machines to invest in another district. He also said that top district officials have been summoned for further interrogation.
Hakiiza said machines are currently kept at Kaduku police post as investigation continues.
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However, the Hoima district Vice Chairperson, Benson Chiche told theCooperator news that the road equipment was officially
He noted that Col Edith Nakalema’s men were supposed to first consult the district before arresting the officials.
According to him, the district executive committee had a meeting in June this year and agreed to hire the machines to the person who needs them.
Without mentioning the amount of money, Chiche said the district was paid money before the hiring of the machines to the Indian investor.
“Officially, we hired these machines because we are allowed as district local government to hire our machines as long as the one hiring them is willing to pay money which in turn is used to provide services to the people of the district. When this investor approached us, we agreed and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with him, on how he would use our machine and how he would pay the district;what we did is allowed by law and we have minutes of the executive that okayed the hiring of the machines in question. The only mistake was that the security personnel who arrested our people never consulted the district about what exactly happened,” he said.
Meanwhile, some residents were angered by the act of hiring the road equipment yet they are currently suffering with poor road network. The Chairman of Buhanika Rice Farmers’ Cooperative Society in Wagesa parish, Buhanika sub-county, Joseph Kaija says that most of the roads in their area are in poor condition.
He noted that Nyakabale -Wagesa-Kirangazi and Kigona- Kibingo roads have spent over 10 years without being rehabilitated adding such roads are hindering farmers from accessing markets.
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