By Eye Media Uganda | Bukwo | August 3, 2026
A bitter standoff has emerged in Bukwo District after the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), George E. Owanyi, formally accused the District Criminal Investigations Officer (CID) of indiscipline and unprofessional conduct over a police summons requiring him to record a statement.
In a two-page complaint dated August 1, 2026 and addressed to the Regional Police Commander in Siipi, the RDC protests a summons reportedly issued by Bukwo District CID Officer D/ASP Higenyi Samson, describing the move as irregular, malicious and intended to embarrass the Office of the President’s representative in the district.
According to the RDC, the summons stem from allegations relating to “shoddy works” on government projects. However, Owanyi argues that such matters were never discussed or approved by the District Security Committee (DSC), which he chairs, making the summons procedurally flawed.
The RDC further maintains that his office is primarily responsible for monitoring and commissioning government programmes and has no direct technical or financial management role in implementing projects.
He argues that technical officers, including the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), are responsible for project implementation, supervision and financial management, while the RDC only undertakes monitoring alongside technical teams and political leaders.
Owanyi also claims that most of the projects cited in the summons were implemented and commissioned between 2021 and 2024, before his deployment to Bukwo in August 2025, insisting he cannot be held responsible for actions that occurred before his arrival.
The dispute appears to have its roots in the management of Parish Development Model (PDM) funds. The RDC states that during a District Task Force meeting held on July 6, 2026, concerns were raised over police officers allegedly collecting money from civil servants, recording statements and retaining recovered funds as police exhibits without involving the RDC’s office.
According to the letter, the meeting resolved that all recovered PDM funds should be deposited onto a special district collection account managed by the Chief Administrative Officer, with bank deposit slips shared among relevant stakeholders for accountability.
The RDC alleges that despite this resolution, police continued holding the funds without presenting any audit trail to the District Security Committee.
He further accuses the CID officer of engineering a campaign to undermine and humiliate him, arguing that the summons amount to a “witch-hunt” and demonstrate a misunderstanding of the constitutional mandate of the Resident District Commissioner.
Owanyi has asked the Regional Police Commander to investigate the CID officer’s conduct and provide administrative guidance, saying established reporting procedures for RDCs were ignored.
By press time, Uganda Police had not publicly responded to the allegations, and the District CID Officer had not issued a statement regarding the claims.
Eye Media Uganda will continue following the matter and seek responses from the Uganda Police Force and other relevant authorities.
