Adjumani struggles to recover shs1.2b from youth livelihood program

Adjumani |Obedi Collins Gertrude, the Commissioner in the Office of the President for Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) in the West Nile region, has directed Adjumani district leaders to develop mechanisms to recover UGX 1.2 billion disbursed through the Youth Livelihood Program (YLP).

This directive was issued during a recent courtesy visit to Adjumani district local government offices. The funds, which were distributed to youth groups throughout the district beginning in 2016, were intended to be recovered within three years.

However, only UGX 283 million has been recovered thus far, leaving a significant gap in the repayment of funds.

Mawadri Ramadhan, the district’s Community Development Officer (CDO), explained that tracking and recovering the funds has proven difficult due to poor disbursement practices and a lack of effective monitoring.

“Since 2014, we have received UGX 1.2 billion in this district to support 181 youth groups, benefiting 2,202 youths. The repayment period is three years,” he said.

Unfortunately, most youth groups have dispersed, making it extremely difficult to monitor and collect money. Some groups that formed between 2014 and 2018 are no longer traceable, and repayment has become a major issue, according to Mawadri.

Akuba Denis, Assistant District Internal Auditor, raised another critical issue: the repeated disbursement of funds to the same groups that had failed to repay previous loans.

“The reality is that Youth Livelihood is a government program intended for community development. However, the reason for the failure of this program in Adjumani is that we keep giving funds to the same groups who have already defaulted. This weakens the recovery process,” Akuba noted.

Ondoa Corina Ewikudra, Secretary of Production and Natural Resources, stated that a lack of proper monitoring has hampered efforts to identify and hold beneficiaries accountable.

To close the gaps, she proposed integrated planning and joint monitoring.

“This report makes it clear that monitoring has been insufficient. As a district, we need to conduct joint monitoring, integrate our plans, and share information so that we can have a better recovery process. This will also enhance our reputation and ensure we achieve results like other districts in Uganda,” Ewikudra said.

Commissioner Obedi urged district leaders to prioritize massive sensitization and recovery efforts to prevent further financial losses.

“I have seen and heard that services are trickling down to the people, but there are challenges that need urgent attention. I recommend joint monitoring efforts where all stakeholders dedicate a day or two to visit and evaluate the progress of these projects.

“This approach will help Adjumani make a significant difference,” the Commissioner stated.

The Youth Livelihood Program disbursed UGX 1.2 billion to 181 youth groups in nine sub-counties and two town councils across Adjumani district, benefiting 2,202 youths.

Despite this investment, the recovery process has proven difficult, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the program’s implementation and monitoring mechanisms.