LUUKA, Uganda — Opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, vowed to abolish the government’s flagship Parish Development Model (PDM) program if he is elected president, calling the initiative a “conduit for corruption.”
Kyagulanyi, the National Unity Platform (NUP) leader and presidential aspirant, told supporters during campaign rallies in the Luuka and Kaliro districts that the PDM would end within his first 100 days in office.
“A country does not develop by simply giving handouts to everyone,” Kyagulanyi said, arguing that the program is merely helping President Yoweri Museveni extend political patronage without producing tangible results on the ground.
Kyagulanyi said the PDM is a waste of taxpayer money. He noted that the government has allocated 1 trillion Ugandan shillings (approximately $267 million) to the program but claimed no one can point to improved livelihoods.
“We are going to abolish that program,” he said. “Half of that money will be invested in improving our education system. If Makerere University needs scholarships for our people, we shall provide them.”
Prioritizing Education over Handouts
The NUP leader argued that education must be the country’s top priority, citing the high cost of schooling, especially at the university level, which has made it the preserve of wealthy families. He pledged to redirect half of the funding currently dedicated to the PDM toward supporting the education sector.
Kyagulanyi’s stance directly opposes the government’s strategy. Launched in 2022, the PDM is intended to lift 39% of Ugandan households from subsistence farming into the money economy. The program covers all parishes in Uganda, with each receiving 100 million shillings. Government reports credit the PDM with promoting financial inclusion and grassroots economic empowerment, with 2,896,114 beneficiaries accessing the Parish Revolving Fund to date.
Senior Presidential Advisor on Political Affairs Moses Byaruhanga defended the PDM, saying it is creating jobs and increasing purchasing power.
“One PDM beneficiary, on average, employs one or two other people. So, PDM is not only getting Ugandans out of poverty, it is also creating jobs,” Byaruhanga said, arguing that increased spending by beneficiaries boosts tax revenue for social services like education and health.
Addressing Local Grievances
Kyagulanyi also addressed local issues, including massive brutality against fishermen, falling sugarcane prices, and deplorable infrastructure. He lamented the dusty and potholed roads he encountered in the Busoga subregion.
“I want to assure you that we shall fix all roads in Busoga once you vote us into power. It is possible,” he said. “This country is rich — the problem is poor leadership.”
Kyagulanyi, who concluded his Busoga subregion campaign Saturday, is expected to campaign in the Mityana district today. Local residents also voiced concerns, urging the next president to fight corruption in politics and streamline the bodaboda industry to curb exploitation by credit firms.
