By Michael Atwakiire
Sheema: Hundreds of parents in Sheema district are shedding buckets of tears after being conned millions of shillings by a fake Nongovernmental Organization (NGO) that promised to give school fees bursaries to their children.
Spy Uganda has learnt that over 135 parents from Kyeihara parish Kasaana Sub-county in Sheema district are sobbing after being faked by the NGO, whose employees deceived them that it would pay school fees for their children, only to disappear after collecting money from them.
Enock Tumuhairwe, the Councillor of the area, told us “It was in early March of this year when a Nongovernmental Organisation called Conquerors Compassion International Mama Caring Centre[U] from Bisheeshe, Ibanda district, came to Kasaana sub-county through their coordinator Flora Kyobutungi, who is our fellow resident.
This Compassion organization convinced people that their head offices are in Kampala but they have a western branch in Ibanda district. They assured them that their aim is to help the poor and the needy especially orphans, by offering to pay for them school dues and accommodation for university students , scholastic materials , clothes and many others .
However , they later told people that before one receives their services, he or she must be registered and that each pupil had to pay Shs53000, a high school student Shs105,000 and those from higher institutions of learning Shs155,000 each. 135 people paid that money whereby one parent would register three to five children.
But after collecting their millions of money the NGO workers have since disappeared. We reported the case at Sheema Central police station vide file number SD REF30/07/11/2019 and the police said they will investigate the matter.
Frank Kyereere, the Sheema Resident District Commissioner, confirmed the news, and said that “Only 75 people came to my office crying. With the help of police we arrested the said Compassion Organization coordinator in Sheema district known as Kyobutungi Flora.
She accepted the case and paid back the money to those who had reported totaling Shs5,382,400. We are now hunting for the directors and top managers of this fraudulent organization and we hope that within a few days we shall have got them.
There is another Compassion group which last month conned people of Kakindo town council in Sheema district. We arrested them because they were still around soliciting more money illegally.”
However, one of the officers from Conquerors Compassion International Mama Caring Centre we talked to on phone said that “There was no need for us to first seek permission from the RDC or police for operating in Sheema district. We are helping poor and needy people, so why should we first get permission ? Those people should be patient because you can’t plant today and expect to harvest he following week.”
