Summary:
Reports from various districts expose local officials, including parish chiefs and village chairpersons, demanding bribes from beneficiaries before disbursing funds. In some cases, officials have solicited amounts ranging from 200,000 to 500,000 UGX to process loan requests or upload applicants’ names to the PDM system.
OP-ED: In Uganda, corruption has become so deeply ingrained in our society that it permeates every level of governance, from the highest offices to the smallest villages.
The NRM’s 38-year rule has been characterized by a laissez-faire attitude toward corruption, allowing it to spread unchecked. This institutionalized kleptocracy has rendered even presidential directives impotent, leaving the nation’s development initiatives in tatters.
The latest casualty of this systemic rot is the Parish Development Model (PDM), a program that, despite its noble intentions, has been hijacked by the very corruption it sought to eradicate. The president issues directives on PDM repeatedly, yet they are ignored without consequence.
The PDM was envisioned as a transformative initiative to uplift Uganda’s poorest citizens by providing them with financial support to invest as seed capital. Each qualifying household was to receive 1 million UGX, a substantial sum aimed at fostering economic empowerment at the grassroots level. However, the implementation of the PDM has been marred by the same corrupt practices that have plagued previous government programs.
Reports from various districts expose local officials, including parish chiefs and village chairpersons, demanding bribes from beneficiaries before disbursing funds. In some cases, officials have solicited amounts ranging from 200,000 to 500,000 UGX to process loan requests or upload applicants’ names to the PDM system.
It is no wonder that during Museveni’s subregional PDM tours, officials struggled to find any success stories in their districts for the president to visit. Despite over 2,000 people in each district receiving PDM funds, not a single model farmer was available for showcase. If the program was truly working, why couldn’t they pick one at random?
The real problem with PDM lies not in the concept but in its execution. At the heart of its failure is the rampant corruption that has become the norm in Uganda’s government.
In a desperate bid to prove that PDM is working, officials have resorted to staging success stories. The few “model farmers” they present are often coerced into pretending their businesses are thriving, when in reality, the money has been wasted. Some shamelessly parade projects that existed long before PDM was introduced.
This isn’t mere incompetence; it is deliberate mismanagement and systemic corruption. Meanwhile, the government continues to claim that PDM is a success, even though the evidence on the ground tells a completely different story.
The NRM’s prolonged tenure has fostered a belief that public resources are fair game for personal enrichment, a mindset that has seeped into the very marrow of Ugandan society. Consequently, even at the village level, local, uneducated villagers view the PDM not as a means to alleviate poverty but as an opportunity to steal.
This systemic corruption has led to the exclusion of genuine beneficiaries who cannot afford to pay the demanded bribes, thereby defeating the program’s purpose.
The NRM’s role in cultivating this culture of corruption at every level cannot be overstated. For nearly four decades, the party has presided over a system where accountability is scarce, and impunity is rampant. This environment has allowed corrupt practices to flourish, rendering well-intentioned programs like the PDM ineffective.
The failure of previous initiatives, such as Emyooga and Entandikwa, serves as a testament to this unfortunate reality.
Every five years, a new program is unveiled with promises of economic empowerment and poverty alleviation. Yet, each initiative falls prey to the entrenched corruption that has become synonymous with the NRM’s governance.
After the 2026 elections, it is likely that another program will be introduced, claiming the same objectives as its predecessors. Regardless of its name, it is destined to fail—just like those before it—because as long as corruption remains ingrained in the NRM’s core, proper execution will always be impossible.
The writer, Arinda Nshekantebirwe, is the LC 5 Male Youth Councillor for Rubanda District in South Western Uganda.
