In a startling revelation, parish chiefs in Namisindwa district have been accused of demanding sexual favors from female beneficiaries in exchange for registration under the Parish Development Program-(PDM).
The allegations were brought to light by Rita Namuwenge, the Emyooga National Coordinator and PDM Consultant for the Eastern Region, during a PDM evaluation meeting held at Magale Girls’ Primary School in Magale Sub-County on Tuesday.
Namuwenge addressed hundreds of stakeholders, parish chiefs, and district leaders with visible frustration. Last week, during the Bugisu Region Emyooga and PDM meeting at Mbale City Chambers, chaired by Namuwenge, it was revealed that Namisindwa District had disbursed only 2% of the allocated funds for the third phase, while Sironko had disbursed 0%, and Manafwa 6%, among others.
The low disbursement rates in Namisindwa were a key topic in Tuesday’s meeting. Namuwenge stated that intelligence reports suggest parish chiefs are requiring female beneficiaries to exchange sexual favors for participation in the program.
She highlighted this as a significant factor contributing to the low number of beneficiaries receiving PDM funds in the district.
Andrew Wabweni, the Namisindwa District Community Development Officer and PDM Focal Person claimed he had not received such information directly but had heard about it through media reports from other districts.
Jackson Wakwaika, the LC V Chairperson of Namisindwa District, expressed shock at the allegations and called for immediate investigations to identify those responsible and enforce disciplinary measures.
He emphasized that parish chiefs should not have the authority to dictate who benefits from the PDM program and urged female beneficiaries to report any such demands to the relevant authorities instead of complying.
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