By Moses Andama
www.mknewslink.com
In Masindi—
The State Minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Tom Aza Alerah, has directed Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) and District Internal Security Officers (DISOs) in the Bunyoro sub-region to arrest Parish Development Model (PDM) SACCO leaders accused of misappropriating government funds.
Aza issued the directive on Thursday, October 22, 2026, during a sensitization and awareness meeting for stakeholders and SACCO leaders held at the Masindi District Chamber.
The minister expressed concern that some SACCO leaders were allegedly giving beneficiaries less than the Shs1 million they are entitled to receive, describing the practice as daylight robbery.
He urged RDCs and DISOs, who serve on PDM oversight committees, to take firm action against leaders found to be diverting or stealing the funds.
“RDCs and DISOs, you are the chairpersons of the PDM oversight committees. I implore you to arrest any SACCO leader who steals PDM money. The President is waiting for such culprits, and once they are arrested, they must be taken directly to him so that more culprits can also be arrested,” Aza said.
He further alleged that some leaders in Bunyoro were allocating themselves as much as Shs5 million from the programme, warning that the practice amounted to theft and should not be tolerated.
Aza urged authorities to investigate such cases without fear or favour and encouraged concerned individuals to submit written complaints directly to his office.
He cited complaints from Masindi as an example, saying that some people had contacted him seeking intervention in suspected cases of mismanagement.
The minister also called on political leaders and technical officers to ensure that PDM funds reach the intended beneficiaries.
He emphasized the need to facilitate district commercial officers with fuel and transport to enable them to monitor programme implementation across all parishes.
Aza revealed that he had directed the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives to release quarterly operational funds to district commercial officers to ensure that fuel was consistently available for their field activities.
He also directed chief administrative officers (CAOs) and district commercial officers to ensure that three key documents were available every month: lists of beneficiaries displayed on parish noticeboards, recovery rates for each SACCO, and lists of dormant SACCOs, including both microfinance and PDM SACCOs.
The minister warned that SACCOs that fail to hold annual general meetings (AGMs) risk deregistration, adding that the relevant authorities have the power to take action against non-compliant SACCOs.
He further revealed that the government was planning to reintroduce cooperative extension officers at district level. In the meantime, he said, CAOs and district commercial officers should take responsibility for providing the necessary support and supervision.
Aza called on SACCO leaders to uphold honesty, transparency and accountability, warning them against diverting members’ money for personal benefit.
“You are holding the future of this district, but I have three complaints that I must address today. First, stop giving people less than Shs1 million per household. Second, stop giving money to your families, relatives and friends. Third, you must start recovering the money from those who have already received it,” he said.
The minister urged leaders to treat PDM as a poverty-reduction programme that must be implemented transparently to improve household incomes and livelihoods.
