The Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Janat Mukwaya, has directed the Kibaale District Chief Administration Officer (CAO) to interdict all civil servants who are said to have mishandled the Youth livelihood Fund and the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Fund.
Addressing the women, youth and sub county leaders at Kibaale Council Hall, Mukwaya said that most chiefs and Community Development Officers (CDOs) at sub-county levels would not sign for the groups without requesting for over Shs 800,000 as bribes.
During her field work, the Minister discovered that Kibaale has many ghost youth groups especially in Kibaale town council.
According to the information obtained from the women, youth leaders and the general public, the former focal person for youth livelihood- Kibaale Stevenson Mutyaba is mentioned among the corrupt leaders in the implementation of Youth livelihood Fund program.
Also, the leadership of Kibaale town council is blamed for forming ghost groups on top of personalizing formed groups.
Minister Mukwaya ordered the CAO Kibaale to immediately probe all alleged corrupt civil servants and terminate their services if found guilty.
When contacted, the former focal person for youth livelihood Kibaale Stevenson Mutyaba denied the allegations and asked for thorough investigations to ascertain to the challenges associated with youth livelihood
The Town Clerk Kibaale town council, Gafabusa Deo Karali says the government programs are well managed, asserting that the criticism that was made against them during the monitoring exercise was planned and stage managed by selfish interests.
Meanwhile, both the district LC 5 Chairperson Kibaale Peter Amara and the deputy CAO Peter Nsamba promised to probe the alleged corrupt civil servants in order to bring them to face the law if found guilty.
The District Focal Person for Youth Livelihood Programme, Philip Asiimwe, said Kibaale has so far received over 911 Million shillings since 2014 for 1,464 beneficiaries with 842 males and 622 females.
Asiimwe says the recovery rate stands at 102% in Kibaale but disclosed that the greatest challenge is mismanagement of funds by youth interest group leaders.
The focal person for UWEP Robinah Abamwesiga says Kibaale district has so far received over 111 Million shillings and has benefited 19 women enterprises.
Over 10m shillings has been recovered from the supported women groups.
The meeting was attended by the district youth chairperson Kibaale Jimmy Semakula, district women council Mary Asiimwe, secretary for health and education Hope Kanyenzi, secretary for security and DISO Kibaale Wilson Aheebwa, among others