KASESE, Uganda — President Yoweri Museveni praised the Parish Development Model (PDM) as a crucial tool in Uganda’s poverty reduction efforts during visits to beneficiaries in the Rwenzori sub-region on Monday.
Museveni’s tour, aimed at promoting household wealth creation, included stops in Kasese and Ntoroko districts.
In Kasese Municipality, Museveni met Biira Pelucy, a visually impaired woman who used PDM funding to establish a successful poultry business.
Museveni highlighted Pelucy’s recent earnings of 7 million Ugandan shillings from poultry sales, citing it as an example of the program’s potential.
“I visited Ms. Biira Pelucy in Kasese Municipality, who, despite being visually impaired, has transformed her life through the PDM by running a successful poultry business,” Museveni said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “Her journey illustrates the government’s push for self-reliance and income generation.”
Later in Ntoroko District, Museveni visited Steven Kisembo, another PDM beneficiary who expanded his livestock project from four to 18 goats. Museveni toured Kisembo’s goat shelter, expressing satisfaction with the program’s impact on local livelihoods.
“These funds belong to the people, and without active engagement, people risk missing opportunities and failing to get out of poverty,” Museveni said, referencing PDM, Emyooga, NAADS, and Entandikwa programs.
Museveni also criticized persistent poverty in Uganda, attributing it to leadership failures. “People being poor in a country that has everything is a big mistake, and it’s largely a failure in leadership. I’m not just talking about political leaders, but also religious and cultural ones. These should be like parents to the people,” he said.
Museveni’s PDM tour of the Rwenzori sub-region will continue, with further visits planned in other districts. He emphasized that economic transformation begins at the household level and requires strong local leadership.
