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Lira City agents and GISO under probe for registering relatives for restocking

12 August 2026, 11:02 pm

Lira City Agents and GISO Under Probe for Registering Relatives for Restocking

Stakeholders from different districts during the meeting.

The Parliamentary Committee on Presidential Affairs has handed over two town agents in Lira City to police for questioning over allegations of irregularities in the distribution of government funds meant for cattle restocking.

The two are Geoffrey Loum, the Town Agent for Ipito Aweno-Ipito Gweno Ward in Lira City West Division, and Patrick Olade, the Town Agent for Barogole Ward in Lira City West Division.The committee raised the concerns on today during an engagement with Lira City leaders at the City Council Hall to assess how the cattle restocking programme was implemented in the area.

Loum was questioned over the registration of his wife, Lillian Aber, who resides in Boroboro Ward, kn Lira City East Division as a beneficiary in Ipito Aweno-Ipito Gweno Ward which is in Lira City West Division.He was also accused of conniving with Parish Development Committee members and some LC1 chairpersons to register their relatives as beneficiaries.

However, Loum admitted registering his wife, saying the vetting committee had asked him to submit the name of a relative he wanted to benefit from the programme.

Geoffrey Loum, the Town Agent for Ipito Aweno-Ipito Gweno Ward in Lira City West Division admits that his wife benefitted from the program.

In Barogole Ward, Olade was accused of registering people from outside the area and allegedly forging names of beneficiaries.One of the cases cited was that of Michael Odongo, who was registered as a youth beneficiary, although Olade said Odongo was a person with a disability, making it difficult to establish the correct category.

The Member of Parliament for Dodoth East, Peter Pex Paak, has called for the arrest and prosecution of the two Lira City town agents accused of irregularities in the distribution of cattle restocking funds.

Paak says the town agents should be investigated for alleged corruption and connivance in giving government money to people who were not eligible, while the GISOs should also be held accountable for alleged negligence of duty by failing to properly supervise the exercise.

The committee chairperson, Martin Ojara Mapenduzi, directed the Officer in Charge of CID for North Kyoga to take the two town agents and their respective GISOs to police to record statements as investigations continue.The committee members also urged Lira City leaders and the security team, particularly the City Internal Security Officer, to ensure that beneficiaries are properly verified before any government funds are released.

The committee chairperson, Martin Ojara Mapenduzi, expressed dismay on how government officials are misusing the programme to benefit other people.

Meanwhile, the Mayor of Lira City, Sam Atul, has urged government to involve district executive members in monitoring the programme to promote transparency and accountability in the distribution of the funds.

Lira City Mayor, Sam Atul urges the technical team to work on the gaps hindering the success of the initiative.

The Mayor of Lira City East Division, Emmanuel Ebong Opeto, has also called for the names of all beneficiaries to be displayed at parish headquarters to allow communities to verify whether the right people have been selected.

The Resident City Commissioner of Lira, Lawrence Emmy Egole, says the authorities have received several complaints of corruption involving leaders in the process of accessing the funds.

Egole says some beneficiaries have allegedly been forced to pay as much as five hundred thousand shillings to Parish Development Committee members before accessing the money.He says four people have so far been arrested in connection with such cases. Three of them have been remanded, while one case is still pending.

Lira City leaders speak on ways of working on the challenges affecting the steady progress of the initiative.

Sam Atul, the Mayor of Lira City said government should start involving executive members in the districts to help monitor the program for transparency.Meanwhile, the Mayor for Lira City East Division, Emmanuel Ebong Opeto called upon government to ensure the names of beneficiaries are pinned in all the Parish headquarters and verified by the community if the right people are to benefit.

The Resident City Commissioner of Lira, Lawrence Emmy Egole said they have received a few cases of corruption by leaders in the process of accessing the money where some beneficiaries are forced to give about 500, 000 shs to the Parish Development Committees.He therefore said four people have been arrested in connection to such cases out of which 3 have been remanded and one case is still pending.

The government earmarked 80 billion shillings for cattle restocking in the Lango, Acholi and Teso sub-regions, targeting vulnerable groups including the elderly, persons with disabilities, child-headed families and widows.