Blame games, extortion claims dominate Amolatar restocking meeting

9 June 2026, 9:04 am

By Sarah Ejang and Alphonce Odur

Blame games and allegations of extortion took centre stage on Monday as Members of Parliament confronted local officials over the district’s delayed cattle restocking programme.

During a visit to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), the lawmakers uncovered widespread allegations of corruption undermining the initiative.

The technical team accused Internal Security Officers (GISOs) of hijacking the restocking programme by inserting their own names onto beneficiary lists despite not being vulnerable.

In response, the District Internal Security Officer (DISO) alleged that parish chiefs were extorting money from residents, while sub county chiefs were threatening staff to force the inclusion of their relatives in the programme.

Despite the friction, the Amolatar Chief Administrative Officer, Ms Rhoda Oroma, maintained that the project is moving forward.

The Principal Assistant Secretary, Ms Susan Acio, who is also the focal point person for the restocking programme in Amolatar, reported that UGX 255 million had been released to benefit 425 vulnerable people, including the elderly, persons with disabilities, child-headed households, and former war abductees. She added that 329 beneficiaries have been approved, 51 have been paid, and 92 new names are currently being verified to replace those that were rejected.

The IT Officer, Mr Anthony Okello, attributed the slow pace of payments to recent system shutdowns that hampered processing efforts.

The Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Ms Rhoda Oroma, urged Members of Parliament to lobby the Government to lift livestock movement restrictions, noting that cattle cannot cross the ferry from Nakasongola to Amolatar—an obstacle preventing beneficiaries from purchasing cows—while movement in the opposite direction remains permitted.

The Kioga County MP, Ms Collins Angwech, said that Parliamentarians are investigating whether the allocated funds are sufficient to purchase the required five cows per beneficiary.

She also encouraged farmers to collect government hand hoes that are expected to arrive soon at sub-county offices to support agricultural productivity.

Kioga North MP, Mr Geoffrey Ocen Kiring, warned that the Prime Minister’s deadline for completing all first-phase payments is 15 June. He noted that while the wider Lango Sub-region has recorded an 89.3 per cent payment completion rate, Amolatar is significantly behind, with only one ward having so far accessed payments.

With just days remaining, local leaders are under increasing pressure to clear pending files and complete payments, ensuring that vulnerable groups receive the urgently needed support.