By Steven Enatu
SOROTI
Youths in Asuret Sub County, Soroti District have run down a poultry project that was funded under Development Discretionary Equalization Grant (DDEG) during the 2020/2021 financial year.
Thomas Alimu, the Sub County Local Council Three Chairperson Asuret Sub County revealed this to eastnews on Wednesday, 3rd January, 2024 saying the 15 member group was funded with over four hundred chicks that cost the Sub county six million shillings during the said financial year.
Alimu says that it however turned out an embarrassing show when he took a team for monitoring late last year only to find the poultry house.
“I was embarrassed during the monitoring, we went there but there was nothing totally to show. We found out that the leadership of the group and members disagreed and it marked the end of the project. The birds died, others were sold off and the group leader is fearing, he doesn’t want to face us now,” he noted.
The Sub County Community Development Officer, Sarah Aguti says that currently 14 youths groups across the Sub county have benefited from Parish Development Model and four have registered for the youth livelihood program awaiting funds.
She however noted that many youths still do not understand that the monies under these programs are revolving funds that one borrows to use and refund so that the rest can also benefit.
“Some still call these funding a presidential handshake and appreciation and it’s undermining and frustrating the intended target for these programs” she noted.
Meanwhile, the youth Chairperson Oregai parish in Asuret Sub county said they are faced with overzealous NRM youth leaders who have taken on their role and this is making their work hard in terms of monitoring government programs as youth council leaders.
“You find in the parish development committee, the NRM youth leader has been put in place of the youth leader from the youth council in that parish and we also have leaders who were elected in 2021 who should be doing these works but their people since 2016, they are still stuck in those positions” he noted.
