Over Shs150m Emyooga funds embezzled in Kween District

Hawa Nadungha, the chairperson of Kween Performing artists, alleged that the district commercial officer Silvester Toskin Bomet is at the forefront of extorting money from Saccos, frustrating implementation of the program.

“Last year in August, Toskin called the group executive [chairperson, secretary and treasurer] to Post Bank in Kapchorwa District where we signed for Shs40million but he gave us Shs6million and he moved away with the balance,” she said.  

Earlier in 2022, police in Kween District arrested Toskin amid allegations of misappropriating Shs30 million Emyooga money.

At the time of his arrest, he was found hiding in his banana plantation, according to police. 

Sipi regional police spokesperson Fred Mark Chesang told Monitor that the suspect appeared in Kapchorwa Magistrate Court where he was charged with theft and causing financial loss of Shs30 million.

On Monday, Kween CAO Albina Awor decried corruption as a disruption to Emyooga in the district.

“There is a lot of confusion in Emyooga program in my district,” Awor said, adding that “mismanagement of the government funds is being orchestrated by a few individuals.”

“It’s true. I got reports that Toskin is involved in corruption. We got information that he got Shs12 million from one of the Saccos and we handed him over to police. We made him refund the money,” she said on Monday.

The CAO and Emyooga Sacco leaders made remarks during a meeting at Chepkusunya Town Council, organised by National Coordinator for Emyooga Program Ritah Namuwenge.

Toskin reportedly shunned the meeting even as the CAO asked him to present bank statements about the expenditure of Emyooga funds.

“When I called him to find out why he was not in the meeting, he told me it was raining and he didn’t have a vehicle. We sent a vehicle to pick him but still he didn’t come,” Awor said.

When Monitor asked Toskin on phone why he did not attend the meeting, he said he was sick.

 He also denied allegations that he had misappropriated Emyooga funds.

He said other people were responsible for the misappropriation but declined to name any.

“The people who are complaining are the ones who failed to meet the requirements. They were conditions in order to benefit from that program,” Toskin added.

When asked about the Shs12million he signed from one of the groups belonging to fish farmers in March 2022, he said he was an entitled member of the Sacco.

“I borrowed like any other member and I refunded the money,” he said. However, some of the members of the fish farmers group interviewed maintained that he is not a member.

There are about 36 groups in Kween that were registered to receive Shs30million each and two other leaders’ Saccos,that were supposed to receive shs50million each.

Some of the groups allege that they have not received the money although the district received over Shs1.8billion for the Emyooga programme.

Charles Chemutai, a stakeholder, said that most government projects in the area are bedeviled by ghost groups yet government is doing nothing to eliminate corruption.

“The programs are intended to benefit the local community, but the impact is zero on the ground due to corruption,” he emphasized.  

Recently, a group of anti-corruption monitors in Kween district asked Inspector General of Government (IGG), Beti Oliver Kamya to allocate some time and conduct a public accountability meeting in Kween District. 

Meanwhile, CAO Awor also said some people who borrowed money have failed to pay back, failing the program.

 Kween Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Hope Atuhaire assured the community that all implicated officers will face legal action.  

“We have directed the affected beneficiaries to record statements at police stations to aid investigations. A lot of money has been misappropriated by the commercial officer,” Atuhaire added.

On her part, Namuwenge observed that the performance of the Emyooga program is poor because of interference and mismanagement by the civil servants who are supposed to oversee the running of the program.

“It is alleged that the commercial officer picked Shs40million from the Performing artist and Shs12 million from Soyi fishermen and there is evidence to pin him. This case has been handed over to police for investigation,” Namuwenge disclosed.

Namuwenge said about Shs150million meant for Emyooga saccos has been embezzled in the district.