KAMPALA, Uganda — The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has questioned Ben Kumumanya, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Local Government, over an alleged misuse of 5.7 billion shillings ($1.5 million) in funds. The issue was highlighted in the Auditor General’s report for the fiscal year ending 2024.
According to the report, 12 billion shillings ($3.2 million) were allocated and released for Parish Development Model (PDM) activities, specifically for secretariat operations. However, PAC noted that activities costing 5.7 billion shillings were not implemented.
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In his defense, Kumumanya explained that the planned activities were deferred to the next fiscal year, but he failed to provide a clear accounting of how the funds were utilized in the current period.
Additionally, the ministry was criticized for failing to establish a vulnerability index during the PDM’s fourth year of implementation. This index is crucial for evaluating the program’s impact on the most impoverished beneficiaries, including those who may not have received adequate support under the PDM framework.
Kumumanya stated that the ministry was awaiting data from the national population census to finalize the index. He assured the committee the vulnerability index report would be completed and released by July 1, 2025.
Kumi Municipality Member of Parliament Silas Aogon and Tororo District Woman Member of Parliament Sarah Opendi also accused the Ministry of Local Government of creating new administrative units without consulting the Ministry of Finance on funding availability.
This prompted Public Accounts Committee Chairman Muwanga Kivumbi to summon the head of the Parish Development Model to appear before the committee next Tuesday, May 27, regarding the non-implementation of activities. Deputy Chairperson Gorreth Namugga advised the officials to collaborate with lawmakers to prevent challenges and ensure effective service delivery.
