President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has commended the Parish Development Model (PDM) for transforming livelihoods in Busoga, highlighting inspiring success stories of households that have significantly increased their income through the initiative.
During his visit to Kalamira Village, Namutumba Town Council, Namutumba District, the President reaffirmed his commitment to wealth creation, a vision he has championed since the 1960s. He recalled how he began organizing Ankole cattle keepers to transition from nomadism to productive farming, a model he has since expanded across Uganda.
“Here in Namutumba, I came to reinforce the message of wealth creation. PDM is proving to be a critical tool in enabling farmers to access resources directly and improve their livelihoods. The good thing with PDM money is that it goes straight to farmers’ accounts with no shortcuts,” President Museveni said.
The visit is part of President Museveni’s 4-day wealth creation and PDM performance assessment tour in Busoga sub-region which commenced today.
He assured residents that the government will continue to send UGX 100 million to each parish annually, encouraging communities to utilize the funds effectively. He also acknowledged challenges such as large parish sizes and pledged to address them after reviewing how the current funds are performing.
“The PDM money is for the people; it will not go back to the government. I am here to ensure these funds are making a difference because what is crucial is the example,” he stated.
The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Community Affairs, Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga echoed these sentiments, noting the need to address the challenge of large parish sizes that strain the allocation of UGX 100 million. She urged the government to consider additional funding for larger parishes.
President Museveni celebrated the achievements of Mrs. Tolofisa Buwala, a dairy farmer who used UGX 1 million from PDM funds, supplemented by UGX 250,000 from her savings, to purchase a dairy cow. Today, the cow provides five liters of milk daily, four of which she sells at UGX 1400 per liter, boosting her household income. Mrs. Buwala expressed her gratitude, requesting additional cows and silage transportation support to expand her business.
Her husband, Mr. Christopher Samanya, has also benefited from government programs. Using mango seeds provided by NAADS, he harvests 10 sacks of mangoes annually, earning UGX 20,000 per sack. However, he noted a need for more land to grow his fruit business.
To support their efforts, President Museveni contributed UGX 12 million to Mrs. Buwala to purchase more cows, UGX 6 million for a boda boda to ease transportation, and UGX 12 million to Mr. Samanya for land acquisition to expand his mango farming.
Hon. Akampa Paul, the Member of Parliament for Busiki Constituency, applauded the government for its development initiatives in Namutumba District, including improved road networks, seed schools, and healthcare facilities. He assured the President of strong support for the NRM in the upcoming elections.
The event was also attended by Rt. Hon. Lukia Nakadama, the 3rd Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Evelyn Anite, the Minister of State for Investment and Privatisation, Hon. Persis Namuganza, the Minister of State for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Members of Parliament, among others.
