Residents of Nadunget Town Council in Moroto District are expressing frustration after failing to access Parish Development Model (PDM) funds despite fulfilling all registration requirements. The most affected areas are Nakapelimen and Lolayin wards, where beneficiaries claim to have registered and completed all necessary procedures but have not received any funds.
Some allege that they have waited for up to two years without payment, and whenever they approach officials, they are told that their beneficiary credentials were rejected by the computer system. The situation has been compounded by allegations that officials have taken residents’ National Identity Cards, SIM cards, and phones without providing explanations.
Santina Mudong, a resident of Lolayin ward, said they were among the first to register for PDM last year but have never received a penny. She noted that while some people received the funds, others were told their names were rejected by the system. Mudong added that when they approached district authorities, they were informed that only twelve people had issues, despite there being over 30 affected individuals. She said that although she retained her ID, some colleagues surrendered theirs to parish chiefs and have not recovered them.
Rose Nachap, another resident, shared similar frustrations, explaining that all efforts to access the funds have been futile. She said they were charged about 15,000 shillings to complete the registration process but received nothing despite submitting all required documents. Nachap noted that it has been nearly three years since officials cited a system failure as the reason for denying the money.
Mary Goretti Longora, the LC5 female district councilor for Nadunget Town Council, confirmed that Nakapelimen ward has not received PDM funds since the program’s inception. She said over 50 beneficiaries, whose names appear on official lists, have yet to receive payment. Longora also raised concerns over parish chiefs detaining residents’ IDs and SIM cards, with three phones reportedly lost. She added that parish chiefs have been largely absent, only visiting offices briefly and disappearing.
Isreal Lowal, Community Development Officer for Nadunget Town Council, acknowledged irregularities in the PDM program, particularly in Nakapelimen ward. He confirmed that a staff member had mistakenly paid a beneficiary outside the town council and took corrective action by reclaiming the funds and ensuring they were given to the rightful recipients.
Lowal noted additional reports of irregularities, which are yet to be verified. He explained that the parish chief’s health challenges have affected service delivery and that many complainants whose IDs and SIM cards were taken had not yet been entered into the system. Those residents are expected to wait for the second registration phase, which has not yet been announced. He also noted that the officer who replaced the sick parish chief in Nakapelimen ward is facing complaints, and verification of these issues is ongoing.
According to a 2024 survey by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), the PDM program in Nadunget Town Council had reached 227 households out of a total of 1,138 households in the subsistence economy.
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