Ngora — Police in Ngora District have arrested and detained three senior district officials over the alleged embezzlement of Sh22.4 million intended for a government-funded micro-scale irrigation project.
The suspects have been identified as Senior Agricultural Engineer Patrick Okiring Omoding, Production Officer Jacob Oluka, and Senior Procurement Officer Richard Esait Okurut.
Ngora District Police Commander Denis Pahani confirmed the arrests, saying the officials are under investigation for allegedly misappropriating government funds allocated during the 2022/2023 financial year.
“We have preferred charges of embezzlement involving government funds worth Sh22,450,000. The suspects are currently in custody as investigations continue,” Pahani said.
The arrests followed a fact-finding mission conducted by officials from the Ministries of Finance and Water and Environment to assess the implementation of micro-scale irrigation projects across the district.
The inspection, which was joined by district leaders led by Chairperson James Robert Otim, established that the irrigation schemes were only about 60 percent complete despite the contractor having received the full contract payment of Sh47 million.
Concerned by the findings, Otim convened a meeting with district technical officers on Monday to explain why the contractor had been fully paid before completing the works.
The contractor, Teso Crop Care, failed to attend the meeting despite being invited. According to Otim, the Senior Agricultural Engineer was unable to produce the contractor, claiming that the company’s phone contacts were unreachable.
“It is against that background that the officers were arrested as investigations continue to establish individual responsibility,” Otim said.
The incomplete irrigation schemes are located in Ajeluk Village in Mukura Sub-county and Puuna Village in Morukakise Sub-county. District leaders say the projects have remained unfinished for nearly three years, denying farmers the intended benefits.
The irrigation systems were designed to help farmers with access to reliable water sources grow vegetables throughout the year, boost food production, and improve household incomes.
“These farmers were selected because they had land near sustainable water sources. Unfortunately, they have not benefited because the projects were never completed,” Otim noted.
Otim, who assumed office as district chairperson in May, described the discovery of the stalled projects and the alleged misuse of public funds as one of the first major accountability challenges facing his administration.
“I ordered the arrest of these officers to establish who is responsible for the loss of public funds. We want accountability and value for taxpayers’ money,” he said.
Police said the suspects will remain in custody as detectives record witness statements and compile the case file before submitting it to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal guidance.
If sufficient evidence is found, the three officials will be arraigned in court to face embezzlement charges.
