High court in Gulu has frozen a Gulu district account with over 300 million shillings meant for the fight against malaria.
The money was a donation from the Unite States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Acholi Times understands the court order was made early in early December by Henry Twinomuhezi, the Assistant Registrar, Gulu High Court.
The freezing of the account arises out of civil suit No 145 of 2003 in which then Gulu High Court Judge Remmy Kasule attached the district’s movable property.
Gulu District Chairman Martin Ojara Mapenduzi confirmed the court order and said the over 300 million shillings was diverted to the account of former Parish Chiefs who took the district to court for unfair dismissal.
Mapenduzi said the 300 million was meant for Indoor Residual Spray (IRS) in the district to fight cases of malaria in the district.
“It’s is very frustrating. We made every effort to make sure government re-introduces the indoor residual spray. The money is not for the chemical but for facilitating the process,’’ said Mapenduzi.
‘‘A smaller percentage [of the money] was for Gulu and part of it for Omoro and the other districts,’’ added the Gulu Chairman.
Mapenduzi said the diverted money was meant to facilitate meetings as well as allowances for health workers and other district officials.
He said despite the court order that led to the diversion of the fund, the district will go ahead with the indoor residual spray exercise.
“The chemical for the spray has arrived. The money is not for the drugs (chemical). So we have agreed that we will definitely go on with the spray exercise because there is no way we can put the malaria fight on hold.”
The Gulu Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Dorothy Ajwang said she learned about the court through Jane Lamony, the Gulu Chief Finance Officer (CFO).
Ajwang explained that that the money which was in Orient bank was transferred to the parish chiefs on December 6, following an earlier order issued by the Gulu High Court.
She expressed dismay and said the district is now burdened with finding money to facilitate the IRS activities, which have already been planned.
About 89 former parish chiefs who claimed to have been erroneously dismissed from service by Gulu District Local Government authorities in 2002 are demanding for 4.277 billion in compensation.
They were laid off during a restructuring program due lack of academic qualifications.
They are demanding for 4.1 billion shillings in unpaid pension, gratuities and damages and a total of 290.212 million shillings in legal costs.
