news 18 September 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Lira RDC and two officials arrested over alleged PDM fund extortion
Lira Resident District Commissioner Lillian Eyal, along with the district's PDM focal person and Assistant RDC, have been arrested following allegations of extorting Parish Development Model (PDM) beneficiaries. The arrests stem from complaints that beneficiaries were pressured to use funds for unrequested agricultural inputs. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/lira-rdc-two-others-arrested-over-alleged-extortion-of-pdm-beneficiaries-5600564
The Resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Lira, Lillian Eyal, alongside the district’s PDM focal person, Michael Okello, and Assistant RDC, Richard Okello, have been apprehended by authorities. The arrests were initiated by the Ministry of Economic Monitoring and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit due to alleged irregularities in the distribution and utilization of Parish Development Model (PDM) funds.
Complaints from PDM beneficiaries, voiced during an oversight exercise, triggered the investigation. Beneficiaries reported being coerced into purchasing agricultural inputs, such as maize seed and fertilizer, from which a portion of their Shs1 million PDM allocations was deducted. Some individuals were reportedly left with as little as Shs330,000 after these deductions.
Further allegations suggest that beneficiaries faced threats and intimidation when questioning the arrangement. According to Lira District Woman MP Agnes Alinda Auma, beneficiaries claimed Assistant RDC Richard Okello threatened arrest and physical harm if they did not comply. It was also alleged that beneficiaries’ identification documents and mobile money PINs were collected, with funds withdrawn using their WENDI accounts before they could access them.
District officials acknowledged the complaints, with the Deputy RDC noting that one of the suppliers identified was the wife of Assistant RDC Richard Okello. The PDM program aims to provide funds for household income enhancement through various enterprises, intended to be repaid as a revolving fund.