Police in Luwero District have launched investigations into the District Executive Committee of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) over allegations of mismanaging funds meant to facilitate candidates in the recent village youth committee elections.
Last week, the NRM Party Secretariat disbursed Shs63.7 million to the Luwero District Executive Committee to support party flagbearers during the elections held on Thursday.
According to official guidelines, each youth committee candidate was entitled to Shs10,000 for transport, while sub-county youth chairpersons were to receive Shs50,000, and registrars Shs100,000 for mobilisation efforts.
However, Samuel Buchanan, the Luwero District NRM Chairperson, has requested police to probe how the funds were spent after receiving numerous complaints from intended beneficiaries who either received partial payments or none at all.
“I have received several reports indicating that some youth candidates were underpaid or left out completely. We need to account for every coin,” Buchanan said.
In Luwero sub-county, LCIII Chairperson Richard Ssimbwa reported that his area was supposed to receive Shs4.96 million to cover activities in 55 villages but only Shs2.06 million was disbursed.
He added that even this reduced amount was not fully accounted for.
“In the parish of Bwaziba, some candidates got only Shs5,000 instead of the Shs10,000 they were promised. In some areas, nothing at all was given,” Ssimbwa noted.
He said a formal complaint had been filed with the police and the office of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), demanding a refund of the missing funds before the next phase of parish youth elections.
Similar complaints were raised in other sub-counties. In Butuntumula, Youth Chairperson Bernard Kalwanyi said his team received only Shs2 million out of the Shs4.78 million allocated.
“When we questioned the shortfall, the district NRM youth chairperson, Simon Kaweesi, claimed he had redirected the remaining funds to ‘hotspot’ areas to secure NRM victories,” Kalwanyi said.
In Kikyusa sub-county, LCIII Chairperson Nuru Kijjambu revealed that none of the 25 youth candidates received any facilitation.
Instead, only Shs1 million was sent and shared among youth leaders for mobilisation.
Maria Nayiga, the District NRM Administrator, acknowledged receiving and releasing the full amount from the Secretariat to the district leadership.
She stated she had not received official accountability and was only learning of the alleged mismanagement through complaints.
“I was entitled to only Shs50,000, and that’s what I received. The rest of the money was meant for youth facilitation, and I expect the district leaders to follow the guidelines,” Nayiga said.
Despite the complaints, Nayiga defended the overall performance of the team, noting that NRM won a majority of the youth committee positions, which she said showed that the funds were used effectively.
Savannah Regional Police spokesperson, Sam Twiineamazima, confirmed the investigation and said several district leaders had already recorded statements.
“We are still gathering information, and a full report will be provided once investigations are complete,” Twiineamazima said. The case is being handled at Luwero Central Police Station.
Meanwhile, Buchanan has called an emergency meeting of the district executive on Thursday to address the issue and caution party leaders against misuse of funds.
“I won’t tolerate any leader embezzling party funds. I know some of them may have inherited bad practices from previous leaders, but that must stop,” Buchanan warned.
Luwero RDC Richard Bwabye confirmed receiving the complaint and said the District Security Committee would present its findings in a report expected on Wednesday.
This is not the first time the Luwero NRM leadership has faced accountability issues.
During the 2021 general elections, Shs29 million meant for party flagbearers vying for district councillor seats reportedly went missing, with members of the Executive Committee implicated in the theft.
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