Parish chief arrested in Bunyangabu over alleged PDM fraud

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The resident district commissioner (RDC) of Bunyangabu, Nicholas Kamukama, has ordered the arrest of a parish chief in Kisomoro subcounty over allegations of misappropriating funds under the Parish Development Model (PDM).

The suspect, identified as Doreen Ahaisibwe, the parish chief of Buguzi parish in Kisomoro subcounty, Bunyangabu district, is accused of registering her sister’s phone number to indirectly receive PDM funds meant for eligible beneficiaries.

The incident came to light after residents raised concerns about irregularities in the implementation of the PDM programme in their area. Some residents alleged that they were being asked to pay money in order to benefit from the government initiative.

During a meeting on April 7, 2026, convened by the RDC and attended by police, district officials, and local residents, Ahaisibwe reportedly admitted taking the funds and asked for forgiveness. She claimed personal challenges influenced her actions.

“I admit that I received the money through my sister’s phone number. I ask for forgiveness from the community and the government because I was going through personal challenges that influenced my actions,” she said.

It is further alleged that Ahaisibwe convinced SACCO members seeking PDM funds to allow the money to be sent through her sister’s phone number, despite knowing she was not eligible to receive the funds.

RDC Kamukama said investigations were launched following repeated complaints from the public, which confirmed that Ahaisibwe had indeed received the funds fraudulently.

“We received multiple complaints from residents about irregularities in the PDM process, and upon verification, it was established that the suspect used her sister’s phone number to illegally access the funds,” he told journalists.

The deputy chief administrative officer of Bunyangabu district, Baker Akampurira, confirmed the arrest of the parish chief, stating that she unlawfully received PDM funds despite not qualifying as a beneficiary.

“The parish chief was arrested after it was confirmed that she unlawfully benefited from the PDM funds despite not meeting the eligibility criteria. We are committed to ensuring accountability in the implementation of government programmes,” he said.

Bunyangabu district has so far disbursed over sh17 billion to 17,000 beneficiaries under the PDM programme.

The CAO noted that this is not the first case of its kind in the district, revealing that Ahaisibwe is the third district official to be implicated in PDM-related fraud.