Kisoro Mayor Casts Doubt over 156 million COVID Relief Fund

The Kisoro Municipality Mayor, Ndyana Richard has cast doubt on the process of distributing Covid-19 relief grant which has been pushed to next week.

The office of the Prime Minister last month announced that each vulnerable Ugandan would receive 100,000 shillings on their mobile numbers. The basic requirements include one’s NIN and a verifiable telephone contact.

Among the categories that are expected to benefit include, taxi drivers and their conductors, bus drivers and their conductors, loaders and off loaders, Vendors, car washers, bar waiters and waitresses among others.

A total of 1560 households in Kisoro Municipality were expected to benefit from a total payout of 156 million shillings.

While Speaking to the voice of Muhabura, Mayor Ndyana Richard commended the government for planning to relieve Ugandans affected by the lockdown, but says he does not expect the exercise to be free from fraud since politicians have not been consulted yet they are supervisors to the technocrats.

He noted that the top officials did a mistake to underrate the importance of politicians in the cause yet they are the ones who can easily identify the vulnerable people because they understand the welfare of their voters.

Kisoro Municipal town clerk Sharifa Nakintu says the persons tasked to register and verify the lists of beneficiaries could have become sentimental and included those who do not deserve to be on the list.

Nakintu noted that the deadline to submit the list to the Central Government was yesterday but Municipal authorities were not given enough time.

Key Issues in the COVID Relief Fund

1. Most of the vulnerable people do not own telephone numbers.
2. People have included names of people who died
3. Municipal Authorities have included names of family and friends