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Police in Kole District are holding 45 civil servants and local councillors over alleged mismanagement and diversion of funds meant for the government cattle restocking programme.

The suspects, including area councillors, parish chiefs and sub-county chiefs, were arrested in a joint operation on Monday, September 21, 2026.

Samuel Odongo, the Assistant Resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Kole, confirmed the arrests, saying the officials allegedly diverted Shs5 million each meant for vulnerable beneficiaries and instead paid the money to themselves, relatives and friends.

‘These are people who were entrusted to help the vulnerable benefit from the cattle restocking fund, but they instead shared the money amongst themselves. We have handed them over to police for thorough investigation,’ he said.

Mr Odongo said some of the suspects pleaded guilty and refunded the money, while others remained in custody pending repayment.

‘They were 47 in number but some refunded the money. There are about seven area councillors who were also involved and some GISOs are also among them,’ he said in a telephone interview on Monday.

The cattle restocking programme is a government initiative aimed at supporting households, particularly in Lango, Acholi and Teso, that lost livestock during past insurgencies to acquire cattle as compensation for the losses.

In the 2025/26 financial year, the government allocated more than Shs80 billion for the first phase of the programme. Beneficiaries were to be selected by parish chiefs and parish leaders, with the involvement of GISOs, sub-county chiefs and political leaders.

Under the programme guidelines, each parish was expected to select nine vulnerable households, with each household receiving Shs5 million.

Preliminary investigations indicate that some of the officials allegedly connived to select themselves, their relatives and friends as beneficiaries at the expense of vulnerable households.

North Kyoga Regional Police spokesperson confirmed receiving information about the arrests but said a formal report had not yet reached his desk.

‘I have not yet received a formal report but I heard in a meeting that some arrest in relation to restocking money was done today in Kole District,’ he said.

The arrests have been welcomed by residents who have complained about alleged corruption in the programme.

‘We applaud the RDC’s office. Let this be a lesson to others who think government money is theirs to eat,’ Richard Ongom, a resident of Lwala in Ayer Sub-county, said.

George Okwir, a resident of Alito Sub-county, called for the operation to be extended to other areas, alleging that some beneficiaries received less than the amount allocated to them.

‘I want the RDC to come here in Alito Sub-county, there are some elderly people who were given only Shs1 million after using their National IDs to process the money,’ he said.

Police investigations into the alleged diversion of the cattle restocking funds are ongoing.

Vice President Jessica Alupo last evening landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Manhattan, New York, to attend the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which opens today under the theme ‘Restoring trust, managing transformation: UN that delivers for all.’

Ms Alupo, as the head of the Ugandan delegation, diplomatic sources said, is one of only five granted entry visas to the United States.

Others included her bodyguard, Health Minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi, Health ministry Permanent Secretary Dr Diana Atwine, and Foreign Affairs Minister Adonia Ayebare.

This perhaps is the smallest known Ugandan delegation to travel from Kampala for an international summit. Typically, between 30 and 50 officials from various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) have travelled for the UNGA meetings every September, even after President Museveni variously talked tough on restricting foreign travel by public servants to cut wasteful public expenditure.

This time round, multiple diplomatic sources told Daily Monitor that senior government officials ‘were left in shock,’ with even the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ‘not able to work any magic’ to persuade the US embassy in Kampala to grant them visas to travel to New York.

‘Many [officials] begged, others pleaded for intervention, but there was nothing much we could do,’ a senior diplomat told this newspaper. Even VP Alupo was allowed only an aide, and diplomats at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also denied visas.

The sources said the five granted visas were drawn from a ‘compromise’ list of eleven officials, later trimmed to seven, and eventually whittled to five.

The US government, in this case its embassy in Kampala, upholds discretion on who is granted an entry visa.

In response to inquiries by this newspaper, the US Embassy in Kampala yesterday maintained: ‘Visa records are confidential under US law; and we cannot discuss the details of individual visa cases.’

Diplomatic sources, speaking to this newspaper, however, attributed the visa rejections to the Ebola outbreak in the region since May 15. Uganda reported 21 confirmed and probable cases and three deaths by July 16. Nonetheless, the country was cleared by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) on August 27.

The government has stepped up vigilance and active cross-border surveillance, especially as the outbreak appears to be raging next door in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with 7,400 cases and 3,600 deaths.

Despite Uganda’s containment of the outbreak, sources indicated that the American government, a key benefactor for Kampala’s health programmes, grew tense about the resurgence of cases during the recent week’s long burial rituals and mourning for King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV- who was laid to rest on September 12-during which motley groups of people intermingled.

Kampala and Washington, according to sources, quietly agreed not to raise public alarm about the matter, but to continue monitoring the situation.

Even then, despite the Africa CDC and WHO giving Uganda a clean bill of health, several countries around the world continue to impose entry bans, temporary suspensions, or heightened screening for travellers from Uganda, South Sudan, and DRC.

The US CDC’s website states that travellers from DRC, including US citizens and nationals, who have been in the country within 21 days before departure, will not be allowed to board commercial flights with US destinations. Similarly, US citizens and nationals who have been present in Uganda or South Sudan (and not present in DRC) within 21 days of arrival in the US must only enter through designated airports for enhanced screening.

Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja faced hurdles last week in entering Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and raised the issue of ‘travel restrictions’ during a meeting with the country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The UAE slapped travel restrictions on travel from Kampala on June 6 in response to the Ebola outbreak.

The 81st session of UNGA opens today under the theme ‘Restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all’ through next week on Monday. UNGA is the assembly of the 193 UN member countries.

The theme for this year’s meeting comes against the backdrop of continuing setbacks in multilateralism and rising stakes in international diplomacy, first tested by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and further strained early this year by the US abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and the joint US-Israeli assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Multilateralism is the prevailing world order agreed upon 81 years ago after World War II and requires countries to follow international norms and principles and adhere to international institutions such as the UN.

However, the system has come under immense strain over the years, especially with some superpowers such as the US acting unilaterally to protect national interests.

VP Alupo is scheduled to address the session tomorrow afternoon alongside the heads of state and governments of Poland, Namibia, Slovakia, Kenya, Serbia, Mozambique, Guinea, Eswatini, Burundi, Germany, Spain, Australia and Rwanda.

The opening day of the 2026/27 Finance Trust Bank Fufa Women Super League season continued on Sunday with visiting winning four of the five matches played on Sunday.

The headline result was at Hamz Stadium Nakivubo, where KCCA Women gave newly promoted URA Ladies a 3-0 rude awakening in front of a sizeable crowd preparing to watch the Hamz Cup final.

Kamiyat Naigaga did the early damage, converting a penalty in the 11th minute before doubling her tally at the start of the second half with a glancing header.

In between, Rinah Ariho had doubled the score on the stroke of halftime to deflate the hype around URA’s new signings early.

Naigaga was in confident mood afterwards. “We have always worked hard as a team. On a personal note, as a striker, the target is to always be top scorer. I will be chasing that so expect more goals,” she said.

It was a significant afternoon too for coach Hamuza Lutalo, back in the dugout after replacing Ethiopian tactician Asefa Firew Hailegebreal last month. He was facing familiar faces in the URA dugout led by Moses Nkata, who was assistant coach at Kawempe when Lutalo won the league with Kampala Queens (now KCCA) in 2023. Nkata’s assistant Bright Tadeo Nyanzi was coaching Rines SS at the time.

Martyrs, Maroons win early

In Masindi, Uganda Martyrs High School (UMHS) Lubaga also beat coach Gladys Nakitto’s Lady Doves 1-0 with Jesca Ritah Nalubwama getting the only goal of the game.

Coach Edward Kasozi admitted his side had to dig in before finding their rhythm. “It was a difficult game, especially in the first half, where the opponent dominated and we scored against the run of play. The second half was better because we pressed high and counter-pressed to create transitions. Unfortunately, we did not convert any chances that came off that,” he said.

Meanwhile, at Kabaka Kyabaggu Stadium in Wakiso, Rines SS led by coach Swaleh Kamya and assistant Rogers Nkugwa allayed fears surrounding their futures by turning up for their fixture against Luzira-based side She Maroons.

But the disorganisation was clear as coach Maxwell Okello’s Prison Wadresses put on a show to beat Rines 3-0 through goals from Bridget Nabisaalu, Lillian Mutuuzo, and Jackie Adong.

St. Noa, Makerere do it hard

St. Noa Girls also have Rajab Mugweri as assistant coach in their dugout but he will be running the show ahead of coach Abdul Damron Seruyange.

The start was smooth despite having to work harder for their 1-0 win at Fufa Technical Centre in Njeru against last season’s runners-up She-Corporate, who have given the keys to Saddam Pande, formerly their assistant and also a former long serving coach at Olila High School.

Pande will be assisted by former Corporate’s defender Anitah Arinda while former captain Margaret Namirimu is team manager.

Mugweri credited his players’ effort but conceded the performance was some way short of ideal.

“I thank the players who gave 100 percent. We could have enjoyed the game more, but the opponents were physical and did not allow us to do more with the ball. We hope to use the ball better in the next game,” Mugweri said while his captain Imelda Kasemire was simply happy to get the season started with three points on the road.

“It was great to win our first game of the season, especially away from home. Winning away gives you the momentum you need to push harder in coming games,” Kasemire said.

It was only at Nsibirwa Playground, that a home side won on the day with coach Fred Ndawula’s Makerere University, edging Amus College 1-0 to give coach Brenda Nassozi a bad welcome to the women’s topflight.