MITYANA, Uganda — Officials from Mityana District faced sharp scrutiny from Parliament after reports emerged that only about Shs250,000 has been recovered from the Shs8 billion disbursed under the Parish Development Model.
The district team, led by Chief Administrative Officer Edith Mutabazi, appeared before the Public Accounts Committee on Thursday to respond to Auditor General queries for the financial year 2024/2025.
The committee heard that all Shs8 billion disbursed to 75 beneficiary SACCOs was due for recovery by the time of the audit, yet no repayments had been made.
Busongora County North MP Sowedi Kitanywa raised concern over the slow pace of recovery, warning that the government risks losing funds intended to fight poverty. He said poor recovery could undermine the program’s objectives if beneficiaries are not supported to repay sustainably.
“You may end up thinking you are supporting someone to come out of poverty, but you are planting poverty in his home. That is very critical,” Kitanywa said.
Pressed on the current recovery status, Mityana PDM Focal Person Dr Geoffrey Ssemalago said only small amounts had been collected, citing repayments from Namungo Sub-county totaling roughly Shs260,000.
Lawmakers described the recovery as negligible. Committee Chair Gilbert Olanya noted the district was already six months into the recovery period with only six months remaining before the deadline.
Ssemalago defended the district, saying mobilization efforts intensified only recently and that delays stemmed from challenges in accessing complete repayment data from the Ministry of Finance.
The committee also questioned delays in disbursing Shs7.5 billion under the Parish Revolving Fund, gaps in the PDM database and cases of fund diversion.
Mutabazi expressed confidence the district would meet its obligations, citing renewed campaigns backed by local political leaders.
Kitanywa urged caution, warning that aggressive recovery efforts could push beneficiaries further into poverty.
The Auditor General confirmed the entire Shs8 billion was due for recovery at the time of the audit. The committee directed the district to provide concrete evidence of recoveries and report significant progress by September or October 2026.
