Kole I Patricia Achan Okiria, Deputy Inspector General of Government (IGG), has directed Julius Ojut, Kole District Engineer, to refund shs5 million.
The sum was part of shs140,433,000 allocated in fiscal year 2021/22 and allegedly mismanaged in a reference dated November 14, 2022.
The IGG order stems from an investigation into the mismanagement of funds allocated for the rehabilitation of the Ngetta-Alito road.
In a letter dated December 4, 2024, the Deputy IGG’s office stated that Ojut failed to properly account for funds intended to purchase murram for the above road.
Currently, the road is said to be in poor condition.
The investigation revealed that Ojut received a total of shs8,000,000 for the acquisition of murram. He did, however, account for only shs3,000,000.
In his defence, Ojut claimed that he paid shs2,000,000 to George Obong on behalf of another individual, Martin Opio, to facilitate the purchase of murram.
However, investigators were unable to locate either of these individuals, and no evidence was provided to support the claim.
When Ojut also claimed to have paid shs2,000,000 to Peter Acuti for quarry materials, discrepancies became apparent. However, Acuti confirmed that he had only received shs1,000,000.
Similarly, Ojut claimed that he paid shs2,000,000 to another supplier, Joseph Oyang, but, like Acuti, Oyang confirmed receiving only shs1,000,000.
Meanwhile, a third supplier in this puzzle, identified as Bosco Omara, was allegedly paid shs2,000,000 but later confirmed receiving only shs1,000,000.
The funds Eng. Ojut mismanaged was intended to support the gravelling of 22 kilometres of the Ngetta-Alito road.
With such an act, many local residents have expressed frustration, blaming the poor road condition on shoddy work and an insufficient amount of murram applied.
This is the second time that the IGG has intervened in the Kole district over road funds.
In 2023, the IGG issued a public notice directing several civil servants, including Kole district engineer Emmanuel Okello, to refund a total of shs43,117,000 in road funds that had been misused.
The IGG’s actions highlight the ongoing issue of mismanagement and corruption in Uganda’s road infrastructure projects, and the Inspectorate has demanded that Ojut Julius immediately return shs5,000,000 to the asset recovery account.
The annual cost of corruption in Uganda is estimated to be shs9.144 trillion, or 44% of total government revenue in 2019.
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