Summary:
President Museveni emphasized that the PDM was introduced to empower people to manage funds at the parish level and decide how to use them productively.
IBANDA: President Yoweri Museveni has urged Ugandans to utilize revolving funds wisely, emphasizing that these funds belong to them through Parish SACCOs.
During his tour of the Parish Development Model (PDM) Program in Rubirizi, Sheema, and Ibanda Districts on Tuesday, where he visited various PDM farmers, President Museveni reaffirmed the government’s commitment to injecting more money into Parish SACCOs annually.
“I want to thank the people of this area for utilizing the PDM funds well. We shall continue adding more funds every year. The money belongs to you through your Parish SACCO,” he stated.
The President reiterated that he has been advocating for wealth creation since the 1960s and that those who have heeded his message have reaped the benefits.
“When we came into power from the bush, we continued from where we had stopped. In our 1996 NRM Manifesto, we outlined a plan for households with limited land (4 acres). We proposed that one acre be used for coffee, the second for fruits, the third for pasture for dairy cows, and the fourth for food crops. In addition, households could utilize their backyards for poultry, piggery, and fish farming for those near swamps,” he explained.
He emphasized that the PDM was introduced to empower people to manage funds at the parish level and decide how to use them productively.
President Museveni attributed Africa’s underdevelopment to poor leadership, stating that some leaders fail to offer proper guidance to their people.
“A politician is like a medical doctor. He must diagnose the problem, find the right solution, and prescribe the correct remedy. If the diagnosis is wrong, the prescription will also be wrong, and the patient may die,” he said.
“That is Africa’s problem—bad leaders who misadvise their people, prescribing wrong solutions that ultimately harm them.”
The President also cautioned the people of Ankole against identity-based politics centered on tribe and religion.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, thanked President Museveni for initiating several poverty alleviation programs, including the PDM, which he said has significantly improved Ugandans’ welfare.
He noted that Ankole has greatly benefited from the PDM, with all districts in the sub-region receiving their fair share of funds.
Sheema North Member of Parliament, Hon. Naome Kibaaju, appealed to President Museveni to prioritize infrastructure development in the region.
She specifically requested the tarmacking of the Bwizibwera-Nyakambu-Kabwohe-Kitagata-Rukungiri road, upgrading Kitagata Hospital to a Regional Hospital, and extending electricity to rural areas.
