Legislators have raised concern about the apparent fraud involving the distribution of monies to recipients under the Parish Development Model (PDM).

MPs are especially concerned with the Wendi Mobile Application, which Post Bank uses to transmit cash to recipients and is claimed to have been hacked resulting in financial loss.

“In my area and many others, the Wendi App allows Post Bank to transmit up to Shs70 million to PDM officials, who subsequently distribute monies to their supporters. These people are not prepared and equipped to receive such large quantities of money. As a result, several of them have been imprisoned and a large sum of money has been lost,” stated Hon. Florence Nambozo (Indep., Sironko District Woman MP).

Nambozo presented this as an issue of national concern during the plenary session on Thursday, February 29, 2024.

The Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa, who presided over the meeting, admitted to having received accusations about corruption in the management of PDM finances.

“I have been hearing rumours, people complaining that there is corruption in PDM, saying that money is going to this and that individual,” he was quoted as saying.

Tayebwa stated that he was ignorant of modifications in the delivery of PDM monies from Parish-based SACCOS to beneficiaries’ phones via the Wendi App, which he requested Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja to justify.

“We agreed that whenever the government makes changes to the execution of PDM, you will notify this House so that we can mobilise our people and inform them of the changes. “I had no idea they had changed to the App, and no one knew who owned it,” Tayebwa claimed.

He requested Nabbanja to provide Parliament with a statement on the latest developments in PDM, stating that MPs should be involved at every stage to ensure adequate oversight.

Nabbanja said that the Wendi App was created to ease the long and frustrating lineups that PDM recipients faced when in banking halls.

“I want our people to remember how beneficiaries used to lineup in banks, it became hectic and we decided to use an App where beneficiaries could receive money through their phones,” she went on to say.

She stated that she was aware of the App’s technical issues and that her office was scheduled to handle the matter with Post Bank.

“We are having a meeting with the Managing Director, Post Bank tomorrow, otherwise Wendi has to be refined to bridge all these gaps to avoid fraudulent people who are taking advantage and stealing our people,” he said.