The Koboko Chief Magistrates Court has sentenced John Taban Moro, a Parish Chief in Leku Parish, Drania Subcounty, to six months in prison after he pleaded guilty to theft of funds under the Parish Development Model (PDM), a government initiative aimed at eradicating household poverty.
Taban was convicted following a successful investigation led by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, in collaboration with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
The investigations revealed that Taban had stolen millions of shillings meant to support vulnerable households and had made unauthorized payments to members of his own family including his father, brothers, and sister-in-law.
These actions were a direct violation of the PDM operational guidelines, which strictly prohibit civil servants and close relatives within the same household from accessing the funds.
In addition to the custodial sentence, the court ordered Taban to refund the misappropriated funds a directive he complied with.
While delivering the sentence, the Magistrate issued a strong warning to all public servants, stating that theft of funds intended for community transformation would not be tolerated.
The court emphasized that the PDM, designed to support grassroots economic development, must be protected from abuse and self-enrichment by public officials.
In his recent public address, President Museveni vowed to intensify the crackdown on individuals embezzling funds under the Parish Development Model (PDM). He called on Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) and journalists across the country to actively support the fight by reporting those misappropriating these funds.
“I want RDCs and journalists to help me expose and report these thieves. The PDM is meant to uplift the ordinary Ugandan out of poverty not to enrich corrupt officials,” President Museveni stated.
He emphasized that anyone found diverting or misusing PDM resources would face the full force of the law, warning that the government will not tolerate the sabotage of programs intended to transform livelihoods at the grassroots level.
