Mbale District leaders have mounted pressure on Charles Wakubye, the District Environmental Officer, accusing him of misappropriating funds that were meant for implementing an environmental management program.
The program was aimed at providing alternative livelihoods for individuals who had been growing rice in the wetlands, under the Khamoto rice growing scheme in Bungokho Sub County.
In January and February 2025, the Ministry of Water and Environment, with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) donated shs3 billion to Mbale District local government to support the restoration program.
The restoration program offers a range of alternatives, including cows, horticulture, fish farming, goats rearing, sewing machines, and bird farming, to help residents transition to new economic activities.
Since government has prohibited human activities in wetlands, and the affected have been asked to vacate the area.
However, the District Environmental Officer, is being accused of inflating the prices of the 84 heifer cows and the 132 goats that were donated, which he claims to have imported from Kenya.
Wakubye, claims to have bought each goat at shs400,000 and a cow at shs3million each, and so far 132 goats have been distributed to 120 people.
Residents led by the deputy speaker of Bungokho Sub-county, Ivan Kisayi claim, that the prices of the cows and goats were inflated, since they were given young and malnourished animals.
They also claim that there was no transparency in the distribution of animals, since some of the beneficiaries have never stayed in the wetland, they are related to Wakubye, others got more animals, while other beneficiaries are under age.
Iddi Musamali a resident of Nambale village, Bushikori parish, said that the shs8.4 million handling cost was swindled, there was no sufficient training of residents on how to take care of the animals. Since Wakube, refused to work with other stake holders.
Residents never constructed houses for their animals, and they have since started to die off because of poor management while other residents are selling them off.
The government has embarked on a drive to restore critical wetlands in Eastern and South Western Uganda as part of a multipronged project seeking to build resilient communities, wetland ecosystems and associated catchments.
The eight-year project is supported by a USD 24 million grant from the Green Climate Fund, USD 2 million from the United Nations Development Programme-UNDP and USD 18.12 million.
It targets districts in Eastern Uganda include Pallisa, Tororo, Mbale, Budaka, Butaleja, Ngora, Bukedea, Kaliro, Namutumba and Kibuku in Eastern Uganda.
