President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged local leaders to document Parish Development Model (PDM) beneficiaries in order to improve accountability and evaluate the program’s effectiveness. On December 17, 2024, the President underlined the need of preserving correct data during a visit to the Manafwa District.
“You should record the number of families benefiting from PDM in each parish,” President Museveni remarked. “The idea is to provide Shs 100 million per year to 100 homesteads per parish. Borrowers will begin returning funds by the third year, resulting in a revolving system worth Shs 800 million per parish in five years.”
Speaking at the home of John Namukhono, a PDM beneficiary in Busituma 1 Village, Museveni emphasized the program’s potential to promote economic independence at the grassroots level. Namukhono, who won Shs 1 million in 2023, invested in animals and expanded his business, resulting in substantial profits. The President provided him with Shs 12 million to expand his dairy farming business.
“I’m glad he responded to our message of getting out of poverty,” according to Museveni. He asked leaders to actively interact with their communities to ensure the program’s success.
The President stated that PDM takes a more systematic approach than prior poverty eradication projects. He described the government’s approach of distributing Shs 1 million each loan to subsidize high-yield businesses including piggery, dairy farming, and agricultural production.
The PDM framework encourages beneficiaries to apply the four-acre model, which concentrates on growing coffee, fruits, food crops, and grazing for dairy farming on small parcels of land. The approach also includes backyard poultry and fish farming for individuals who live in suitable areas.
During his journey, Museveni also paid a visit to Moses Kutosi in Bududa District, another PDM benefactor. Kutosi spent Shs 980,000 on pigs, which multiplied and provided cash, allowing him to engage in dairy farming. He currently makes Shs 112,000 per month from milk sales. However, he highlighted the high cost of animal feeds as a challenge.
Museveni informed recipients that the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) will set up regional feed production facilities to reduce costs. He also urged families to minimize land fragmentation, favoring shared income distribution instead.
The PDM, which was developed to alleviate poverty and promote grassroots development, focuses on financial inclusion and enhanced service delivery at the parish level. The meetings were attended by officials from the PDM Secretariat, MPs, and other stakeholders.
The President was optimistic about the program’s ability to alter neighborhoods. “This is your money; do not misuse it. “It is intended to build wealth and free you from moneylenders,” he explained.
