Buliisa youth default government funds, fishermen decry harassment

Buliisa: Youth in Buliisa District are under scrutiny for defaulting on government funds disbursed through the Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP), while fishermen in the same area continue to raise alarm over persistent harassment and insecurity on Lake Albert.

These concerns were raised during the Wake Up Youth Mobilization Tour led by Dr. Balaam Barugahara, the Minister of State for Children and Youth Affairs, held on Tuesday at the Buliisa District Headquarters and later at Karakaba Landing Site.

Stella Katusabe, the District Community Development Officer, revealed that since the inception of YLP in 2013, the district has received UGX 593 million, but only UGX 90 million has been recovered.

She attributed the low recovery rate to investment in non-viable ventures, natural calamities such as floods, human-wildlife conflicts and misunderstanding the funds as government handouts.

“We have now embarked on sensitizing beneficiaries on the importance of repaying the money so that others can benefit,” Katusabe said.

Longino Bahebwa, the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), added that some beneficiaries had relocated to other districts like Hoima, Masindi, and Nebbi, complicating recovery efforts.

He assured the public that his office would work with security agencies in those districts to track down defaulters.

Despite the defaulting concerns, many youth claim they never accessed the YLP funds in the first place.

Charles Baligonzaki, the Secretary for Youth and National Youth Programme in Buliisa, accused district officials of disbursing funds to the same groups multiple times, forming fake groups to access the money themselves and demanding bribes from genuine applicants.

“Most of the beneficiaries are connected to officials. Many youth are left out because they can’t afford to pay bribes,” he said.

James Birija, the District Vice Chairperson, added that lack of awareness among the youth had also contributed to low uptake of the program.

In response, Minister Balaam issued a stern warning stating that “Those who took the money must repay it or face arrest. These funds are not free handouts they’re revolving funds to benefit more youth. Any officials caught extorting from beneficiaries will also be arrested.”

At Karakaba Landing Site, fishermen expressed frustration over escalating harassment by fellow fishermen from the West Nile region, and military interference in their operations.

Issa Balikenda, Chairperson of the landing site, reported that their boats and nets are often seized by fishermen from West Nile who demand ransoms of up to UGX 100,000. Those who fail to pay reportedly lose their equipment permanently.

“We are suffering. When you fail to pay, they sell off your boat or nets,” Balikenda lamented.

He also accused the Fish Protection Unit (FPU) of ignoring the offenders and instead harassing local fishermen.

James Byenkya, a businessman, echoed these concerns, saying that even when fishermen catch fish that meet the legal size, security forces still confiscate their stock, depriving them of income.

“We depend entirely on the lake. The army is pushing us off our only source of survival. We are starving,” Byenkya said.

He added that the UGX 1 million received under the Parish Development Model (PDM) is insufficient, as fishing gear is very expensive.

Margret Kakahusa, a resident, revealed that local fishermen are also being abducted by armed Congolese militias, who demand ransom money for their release. She appealed for urgent government intervention to address the cross-border threats.

Norah Bigirwa, the Woman MP for Buliisa District, urged the Minister to remind President Museveni of his unfulfilled pledge to provide fishing gear to struggling fishing communities.

“Our fishermen are suffering. The President promised to support them with fishing gear, and that pledge must be fulfilled,” she said.

In response, Minister Balaam promised to engage the Ministry of Fisheries to ensure the issues are handled appropriately.

Later in the evening, Minister Balaam held a community rally at Biiso Primary Playground in Biiso Town Council, where he called on youth to embrace government programs and warned both defaulters and corrupt officials that they would be held accountable.

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