OPINION: Why Mp Mudimi Wamakuyu should resign

By Bwayo Geoffrey

When news broke recently that Hon. Mudimi Inyasio Wamakuyu and his associates were charged and remanded to Luzira by Chief Justice Jane Aciro’s Anti corruption court for mismanaging cooperatives fund, sections of Bulambuli and Sironko district called for wider investigations to establish to extent of the diversion from public services and the citizens who needed this money the most.

The desire for deep scrutiny arrived as charges centred mainly on Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society Limited where Ugx 4,878,716,611 was not accounted for out of the verified and paid Ugx 5,366,412,800 leaving out two other cooperative societies; Bumwambu Growers Cooperative Society and Lambuli Central Pulpery Cooperative Society Limited where Ugx 15,557,159,236 and Ugx 10,852,320,500 respectively were released but not properly accounted for under the directives of Hon. Mudimi.

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The scheme was discovered thanks to the inquiry by the Committee on Tourism, Trade and Industry inquiry into the governance of and value for money for budgetary appropriations to cooperatives which report was issued in October 2023 and the implementation of its recommendations seemingly in response to international scrutiny over abuse of power by leaders.

The war loss compensation to cooperatives fund was meant to compensate all depositors the full amount of their deposits following the closure of the cooperative bank and the losses that arose from the 1979 to 2006 wars that caused collapse of some cooperatives unions.

The fund has since been at the heart of one of the biggest corruption scandals in Uganda and probably in Africa where it is believed over Ugx 164bn was stolen. In the interest of space, I will limit this article to Bulambuli and Sironko societies.

HOW WAS THE MONEY SPENT

Leaked reports of the committee suggest that the fund was a hub of fraudulent activities from the onset. The extent and severity of this diversion if highlighted below:

Out of the verified and paid Ugx 5,366,412,800/= to M/S Kirya and Co. Advocates and Probate Advocates on behalf of Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society Limited, only Ugx 550,000,000/= was received by the society. The rest was shared thus: Hon. Mawada Micheal 1,550,000,000/=, Hon, Akamba 200,000,000, legal fees with the rest 536,641,300 and the rest 3,116,412,800 unaccounted for.

Secondly, out of Ugx 11,200,000,000/= for Bumwambu Growers Cooperative Society Limited Paid to M/S Kirya and Co. Advocates, only Ugx 1,000,000,000/= was received by the society, Ugx 8.54bn was purportedly spent on buying Hon. Mudimi’s 1,532 acres of land at Bunambutye at Ugx 6m each, Hon. Mawanda Micheal and his counterpart Hon. Akamba bagged 450m and 200m respectively on their DFCU accounts.

Surprisingly however, the said purchase of land not only flouted all the due diligence procedures requisite to purchase such large chunks of land, but also the society is not in possession of the land title despite paying 93% of the land value. The irony is that despite him not being a member of the society, he gave instructions from this parliament office to the law firm to effect these payments.

Thirdly, out of the Ugx 10,852,320,500/= released to the law firm M/S Makada & Partners advocates, for Lambuli Central Pulpery Cooperative Society Limited, the society which Hon. Mudimi himself is chairperson, receiving only 850,000,000/=. The rest was used thus: 1,032,244,933 for procurement of building material for himself, 550,000,000/= for purchase of property on plot 6 Kumi road Mbale, 1,787,500,000 to his WIMUD creations limited, Ugx 161,000,000 to Hon Akamba, 94,844,888 to loaning companies and Ugx 3,202,000,000/= to the law firm.

All these payments were made on the instructions of the Society Chairperson singularly without reference to minutes nor approval by the secretary manager or the board.

From the preceding therefore, you can see how dishonest our leader was. Because of dishonesty, our cooperative societies were deliberately lured into contracts with law firms that eventually cheated them. Secondly, our societies were forced to buy land from him they had not planned for nor ready to use. Thirdly, he paid MPs Mawanda and Akamba over 600m from funds meant for our people. Fourthly, he used our funds to procure building materials for himself. And lastly, our funds were channeled in companies of loan sharks.

What is clearly lacking in our leader is honesty. Leaders should demonstrate a high level of honest as it springs from an intense desire to produce results that is service delivery to the people. Without this focused intent to create better conditions for own people, patriotism for own countrymen, then one ceases to be a leader. Therefore his further bid for leadership will suffer the party’s credibility.

WHAT FURTHER CHARGES SHOULD HON. MUDIMI FACE

Hon. Mudimi and associates should face two more separate trials for diverting funds in Lambuli Central Pulpery Cooperative Society Limited and in Bumwambu growers Cooperative Society Limited including criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of power. So far his incarceration is in relation to diverting funds in Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society Limited.

Over the last 30 years, this intentional non compliance aimed at deriving some advantage for himself has emerged into the biggest corruption scandal in Uganda’s democratic history. And has put Bulambuli on the map for the wrong reasons. Diverting such large chunks of money meant for his own people amounts to serious character concerns for someone holding a public office who is also planning to take another. He should therefore in the interest of Balambuli and Banasironko resign since most citizens in the district are not ready to entrust their future to a man who is not capable of doing what is best for them.

His proponents and the usual hyenas in Bulambuli like Jack and Fred think such a position is an isolated one purely out of greed and lack of foresight.

Examples of leaders who resigned due to such similar incidents include Joe Biden of the United States of America who ran for president in 1988 but was forced to resign from the race due to several counts of plagiarism and lies about his college studies.

The writer is a key opinion leader in the Elgon Zone [email protected] 0762589133.

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