Peter Nangoti leaving court after his appearance
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Peter Nangoti, the PDM Chairperson of Panyadoli PDM SACCO in Kiryandongo District, is increasingly being viewed by some observers as a sacrificial lamb in the ongoing crackdown on misuse of Parish Development Model (PDM) funds.
The government has recently intensified efforts to protect the integrity of the programme following a presidential directive to expose individuals extorting money from wananchi under the guise of facilitating access to PDM benefits. In line with this directive, Nangoti, a 41-year-old peasant, was arrested and charged with obtaining money by false pretences.
Authorities allege that in October 2023, Nangoti collected Shs 2.87 million from 15 individuals in Panyadoli Parish, misleading them that the money was required for registration into the PDM programme—claims officials insist are false, as access to PDM funds is free.
However, critics argue that Nangoti’s arrest highlights deeper systemic issues. They point out that widespread misinformation about PDM processes, weak sensitisation at grassroots level, and the absence of clear accountability structures may have created an environment ripe for exploitation.
Some local leaders suggest that while wrongdoing must be punished, focusing on a single individual risks masking broader administrative gaps within the programme’s rollout.
“The system threatens to curve in in the middle, since it has many anomalies which need to be purged. The acused is a product of this system, and blaming the wrongs on one person is fraudulent,” said Simon Opio, a Kampala based lawyer.
Nangoti was arrested on March 6 and remanded to prison on March 13, as investigations continue.
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