Mess in Maracha District as Youth Leaders Gave Shs 2.4 M to 27 Graduates Instead of Shs 2.7 Million.

Following a six months successful training of Youths in the region under the "WestNile Presidential Initiative Institute for Skilling the Youths" whose first graduation ceremony was held at Zombo District on 4-Jan-2023, where Maracha District had 27 graduates, the Government of Uganda through State House Comptroller Mrs Jane Barekye gave a total of shs 22,000,000 Shs to the 220 graduates, who shared the money 100,000 Shs each.

When we spoke with some of the students over their experience during the 6 months training at the institute, many appreciated President Museveni for thinking about skilling the Youths and some of them mentioned the issue of deducted transport refund money as one of the challenges they faced towards closure of the training which they said resulted from misbehavior of some students who had stolen some of the training materials in the school.

To dig deeper into finding out what happened with the money, the leadership of the institute in an interview with this online publication blog team said, the institute didn't deduct any money to recover any of the stolen items at the school.

Mr Oryem Phillip, the general manager of the institute said, no single part of the Shs 22 million for the students  was depleted to recover any stolen or destroyed property of the institute.

We  handed over a total of Shs 2,700,000  to the Youth Leaders from Maracha District to be given to the 27 gradutes from Maracha, Mr Oryem said as he calculated the total figure of money given for all the 220 students in the institute, Shs 22,000,000 ÷ 220 Students  = 100,000 Shs per student. 

Mr Oryem further clarified that, students under the sector of Capentry and Joinery had destroyed some of the materials as they were leaning but it is gonna be the institute to cater for it.

He however tipped that, it is true, 5 dolls for the sector of Saloon got lost but they didn't recover the money from the 22,000,000 Shs given for the students as it was alleged.

When this online publication blog team contacted some of the youth leaders in Maracha District over this mess, Hon Amazi Sarah, the Female Youth Councillor for Maracha District who on behalf of the District signed the money for the 27 graduates from Maracha District, denied receiving 2,700,000 Shs, defending that, they signed Shs 2,497,500 Shs from which each student was given 92,500 Shs a narrative she chipped in the issue of deducted monies due to some items alleged to be stolen by some students in the institution.

Hon Amazi Sarah whose election into office as the Female Youth leader was believed to be fraudulent because she was hand-picked as a replacement after her predecessor was aged, castigated this online publication team for investigating them over the money , saying, in the past we had successfully investigated corruption related cases that yielded results, but this particular one of 2.7m Shs for Graduates, it shall not find them (Youth Leaders) guilty because, as for her, she has her own business that generates her money and why would she embezzle part of the money meant for the Graduates, she stressed.

Our efforts to get telephone number of Maracha District Vice Chairman for Youths, Hon Victor Munguci through Hon Amazi Sarah have yielded no fruits since she refused to pick our calls nor to reply our WhatsApp messages requesting for the phone number.

On reaching out to Hon Ndera Irene the Youth Councillor for Awiziru Town Council whose name was cited by the students as one of the people who handed over some of the the money to them, she vehemently denied being responsible in this case.

Hon Ariaka Vincent who was also contacted for a comment said, he is not aware of any of such scandalous money involving the Youth leaders who went to attend the graduation ceremony of the students at WestNile Presidential Initiative for Skilling the Youths.

May be i will have to talk with my colleague Youth leaders over this because i totally have no idea if some money was given to them and as well the amount, Hon Ariaka lamented.

To date, to tomorrow, this question of “Where did the money go?”, remains without an answer.

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