Arua District ONC Coordinator, NRM Leaders in Trouble Over Alleged Missing Shs97.5 Million Election Funds

ARUA – The Office of the National Chairman (ONC) coordinator for Arua District, Swadick Drandua, along with three senior National Resistance Movement (NRM) officials are facing serious accusations of embezzling party funds totaling Shs97.5 million intended for the 2026 general elections.

The NRM leaders include Boniface Alioni (Arua District NRM Chairperson), Francis Eyotre (party Administrator), and Julius Abele (district NRM Registrar).

Angry party members accused the four of misappropriating the funds, leaving intended beneficiaries such as boda boda riders and women’s council members without any support.

Fred Madima, the Arua District NRM General Secretary, explained that the money was allocated for hiring boda bodas to transport vulnerable voters to polling stations in support of President Museveni, as well as facilitating the media and women’s council activities.

“Alioni, Eyotre, Abele, and Drandua concealed information about this money from the rest of us. They hid the circular detailing how the funds should be used and even agreed in their private meetings not to share it with District Executive Committee (DEC) members,” Madima said after a meeting with aggrieved NRM members on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.

He added: “We only learned about the funds from neighboring districts. I received the first circular from the General Secretary of Maracha District and that’s how we discovered Shs97.5 million had gone missing.”

Madima said a follow-up meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 24, 2026, where the four officials are expected to appear and account for or return the money. Failure to do so, he warned, could result in their removal from the positions and possible arrest.

By press time on Tuesday, the district NRM office remained locked, with no sign of the accused leaders coming closer to it.

Alfred Ababo, the Arua District NRM Vice Chairperson and one of the aggrieved members who received nothing, described the gathering as a follow-up to an earlier meeting.

“We raised several issues: the Shs80 million meant for boda bodas to transport people with special needs, shared among the Administrator, Chairperson, ONC Coordinator, and Registrar; the Shs15 million for the women’s council during the parish mobilization tour; and the Shs2.5 million for media facilitation, none of which reached the beneficiaries.”

Ababo said 52 stakeholders attended and resolved to write to the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), requesting his attendance at the next meeting with security personnel, as police had previously declined to register their complaint.

“Members also agreed to organize sub-county NRM chairpersons, remaining innocent DEC members, and elders to visit the NRM Secretariat in Kampala to report the misuse of funds meant to help voters turn out,” he said. They further demanded that the Administrative Secretary, District Registrar, and ONC Coordinator vacate the office, while the Chairperson explains himself. If found guilty, the Chairperson should also step down for allegedly promoting corruption.

Fred Agotre, the Chairperson of the Arua District Boda Boda Association, said over 500 boda boda riders were mobilized on January 15, 2026 (election day), using motorcycles and tricycles to ferry vulnerable voters but none has been paid to date.

Grace Edomasia, Arua District NRM Secretary for Finance, confirmed that on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, three withdrawals were made from Centenary Bank, Arua branch: Shs37 million, Shs8 million, and Shs80 million.

“I accompanied the Administrator (Francis Eyotre). We brought the money to the office and handed it over to Julius Abele, who received and signed for it before we left.”

When contacted, Eyotre said he only handled the bank withdrawals and passed the money to those responsible for its use.

Alioni referred questions to Drandua, insisting the DEC had no involvement as the funds were for ONC activities. “Ask Drandua and the Registrar. I only handled money for activities under my direct supervision.”

Drandua declined to comment on the matter in the media, while Abele also refused to speak.

But Denis Okwai Jawoko, the Arua Deputy RDC, commended the aggrieved members for pursuing their concerns peacefully.

“The NRM government has channels for addressing grievances, and this is what they are doing. Previously, when they approached us, I advised that since the funds came from the NRM Secretariat without copying our office, it was difficult for us to intervene.”

He noted that the group has since written a formal complaint to the Secretariat detailing the alleged misuse, calling it the most constitutional approach.

This incident follows similar frustrations in Arua City, where boda boda riders and NRM leaders protested over missing funds shortly after the elections.

Denis Droti, the Chairperson of the Arua City NRM Youth League, said riders were promised Shs500,000 per cell across 469 cells but received nothing. Mobilization funds for 419 cells in Ayivu Division were reportedly short by Shs220,000 each, contrary to Secretariat guidelines.

On Tuesday, February 3, 2026, the aggrieved leaders and riders marched to the Mayor’s Gardens with placards demanding accountability from Zoe Bakoko Bakoru (Arua City NRM Chairperson) and Resident City Commissioner Maj. (Rtd) Betty Otekat Akello for the over Shs300 million NRM funds that allegedly went missing.