One child, one million: PDM fund scandal rocks Akwon Sub-county baraza

20 August 2026, 10:40 am

By Sarah Ejang

A community baraza in Akwon Sub-county, Amolatar District, has been rocked by allegations of corruption, extortion and sexual exploitation in the disbursement of Parish Development Model (PDM) funds.

The allegations emerged on Wednesday, the second day of community oversight meetings held in Akwon and Agikdak sub-counties. The meetings were organised by the district local government to assess service delivery, identify challenges and address concerns raised by residents.

The Akwon meeting turned chaotic when several women accused Moses Opon, the Akwon Parish PDM SACCO loan officer, of demanding UGX 60,000 and sexual favours from female applicants in exchange for processing their PDM funds.

The complainants alleged that, despite paying the money, some of them never received the funds. They further claimed that Opon told them the money was intended for Amolatar District IT Officer, Anthony Obura.

Mr Obura, who attended the baraza, strongly denied the allegations, saying his name had been used without his knowledge.

He announced that PDM-related computer work would henceforth be handled at parish level to reduce opportunities for extortion.

In response, District Chairperson Ogwal Omara ordered the immediate arrest of Opon.

He directed the alleged victims to record formal statements with the Officer in Charge of Police and instructed that Opon be detained and compelled to refund all money allegedly taken from residents.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Geoffrey Vuciri said the district had allocated UGX 81 million in the 2026/2027 financial year to complete the construction of the Akwon Sub-county headquarters.

Residents also raised concerns about poor roads and inadequate access to safe drinking water. District Inspector Dick Ongom assured them that engineers would soon assess and rehabilitate the affected infrastructure.

At Agikdak Sub-county, former Sub-county Chief Bruno Ocwer faced scrutiny over alleged misuse of public funds.

Residents questioned why a photocopying machine and biometric attendance equipment had not been procured despite the full allocation being provided in the 2024/2025 budget.

Ocwer was given 14 days to respond to the allegations as part of a forensic investigation.

Residents also called for the immediate removal of agricultural extension workers, accusing them of failing to provide guidance on modern farming methods. They questioned why the officers had been recruited when, according to them, they had never received meaningful support.

Awonagiro Health Centre III also came under criticism over alleged absenteeism and poor management. Residents claimed that some health workers stopped attending to patients and closed the facility as early as midday.

School headteachers and education officials also faced criticism over poor infrastructure, failure to conduct mandatory Parent-Teacher Association meetings and the employment of teachers accused of being unmotivated and underperforming.

As in Akwon, residents of Agikdak complained about unsafe water sources and the poor state of roads.

The district leadership reaffirmed its commitment to fighting corruption, improving accountability and strengthening public service delivery.

The community barazas will continue on Thursday, 20 August 2026, with the district executive monitoring team scheduled to visit Arwotcek and Abeja sub-counties.