Four arrested in Serere over alleged extortion of PDM, restocking funds
"Government programs are free to every person in the community, so those who are busy stealing PDM and restocking funds will be arrested," Omoding said.
Serere: Four members of the Parish Development Committee (PDC) in Serere District have been arrested and detained over allegations of extorting money from beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model (PDM) and government restocking programmes.
The suspects have been identified as Michael Ojur, an LCII official, Rose Stella Akiror, a vetting committee member, Jonex Ayangu, the PDM secretary, and Rebecca Adumo, all residents of Akoboi Parish.
The arrests followed a community baraza held on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at Akoboi Health Centre II. The meeting was organized by the District Security Committee together with Serere County Member of Parliament Emmanuel Omoding Okabe after residents raised concerns over corruption during a recent visit by Minister Justine Nameere.
Residents accused some committee members of demanding money from intended beneficiaries before they could access funds under the PDM and government restocking programmes.
Serere Resident District Commissioner John Stephen Ekoom said the security team acted on complaints made by the community during the public meeting.
“We received a lot of complaints from the community people during the recent launch of the road construction by Minister Nameere and we promised to hold a meeting. In this meeting, we have managed to arrest four and we shall investigate them,” Ekoom said.
The RDC noted that investigations are ongoing to establish the extent of the alleged extortion and ensure that anyone found culpable is held accountable.
Serere County MP Emmanuel Omoding Okabe warned local leaders against exploiting government poverty alleviation programmes, stressing that no beneficiary should be asked to pay money to access public funds.
“Government programs are free to every person in the community, so those who are busy stealing PDM and restocking funds will be arrested,” Omoding said.
He emphasized that government initiatives such as the Parish Development Model are intended to improve household incomes and should not be undermined by corrupt individuals.
Meanwhile, Serere District Police Commander Waira Nakampulire confirmed that the four suspects are being held at Serere Central Police Station as investigations continue.
Police say the suspects will remain in custody pending the completion of investigations into the allegations of extortion and abuse of office.
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