By Brian Mugenyi
(Mugenyijj@gmail.com)
BUSIA — The National Resistance Movement (NRM) National Treasurer, Ambassador Barbara Nekesa Oundo, has issued a strong challenge to Busia’s newly elected grassroots leaders and local residents, demanding that they aggressively protect Parish Development Model (PDM) cash from corruption and ensure government interventions directly boost household incomes.
Speaking to local leaders during a grassroots engagement in Busia District on Saturday, Ambassador Nekesa warned that citizens must actively take advantage of government opportunities initiated by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. She emphasized that grassroots leaders have an inescapable duty to expose any individuals attempting to misuse or divert public resources meant for the community.
Nekesa highlighted that PDM beneficiaries across the district are already deploying funds into coffee farming, livestock rearing, and other income-generating ventures, driving local production and lifting family livelihoods.
“Our responsibility as leaders is to mobilize our people to embrace these opportunities and use them to improve their livelihoods,” Nekesa declared after inspecting local coffee farms in the region.
She stressed that the mandate of grassroots leaders must extend beyond political mobilization to active monitoring of government programs to guarantee public funds hit their intended targets.
‘DEVELOP UNDER GOVERNMENT PROGRAMMES’
Ambassador Nekesa reaffirmed that national development programs are specifically structured to empower ordinary Ugandans to build sustainable household wealth. She called on local leaders to continually rally communities behind the PDM and related wealth-creation initiatives.
“President Museveni has always emphasized that development must reach the people. The village is where people live, where they work, and where they need services. That is why grassroots mobilization remains very important,” she stated.
According to Nekesa, the true test of the PDM must be visible at the household level—whether in expanded coffee plantations, livestock and poultry projects, or small businesses generating consistent income.
Warning that graft threatens to destroy these economic gains, she urged leaders not to tolerate thieves who steal or divert PDM allocations.
CULTURAL LEADERS JOIN THE FIGHT
During her outreach in Busia, Ambassador Nekesa also engaged cultural leaders, including prominent women serving within cultural governance structures.
This meeting introduced a vital layer to her campaign, bridging local community leadership, cultural institutions, and national development agendas. Nekesa urged cultural figures to leverage their social authority to encourage local participation, protect public funds, and foster household economic transformation.
The involvement of female cultural figures is particularly significant in Busia, where women carry a heavy share of agricultural production, livestock management, and micro-business operations.
BUSIA BENEFICIARIES INVESTING BIG
Mr. David Maloba John, the Busia District PDM Coordinator, confirmed that the initiative has effectively organized local communities into high-yield commercial groups.
“Through the Parish Development Model, we have reached over 19,000 beneficiaries who are organized in more than 800 cooperative groups. These groups have helped communities work together, access government support, and invest in productive enterprises,” Maloba noted.
He disclosed that beneficiaries are actively investing in coffee farming, poultry, piggery, and livestock. To maximize long-term income, Busia District has prioritized high-value enterprises including coffee, dairy, beef, bananas, beans, and fish farming.
THE ACCOUNTABILITY CHALLENGE
Nekesa’s clarion call comes as the central government continues injecting billions into the PDM—a strategy designed to transition subsistence households into the commercial money economy through parish-level funding, financial inclusion, and enterprise building.
Given this setup, local accountability is paramount. Newly elected LC I and LC II chairpersons sit closest to the beneficiaries, making them best positioned to identify bottlenecks, monitor projects, and report irregularities to higher district authorities.
Nekesa’s message to them was direct: citizens must grab government opportunities, leaders must enforce strict supervision, and anyone attempting to loot PDM money must be exposed without hesitation.
A DEEP-ROOTED CONNECTION WITH BUSIA
Ambassador Nekesa’s latest grassroots drive builds on a strong history of engagement in Busia.
In September 2025, she headed a major NRM mobilization drive at Budecho Primary School in Dabani Sub-county, gathering over 4,000 local leaders, village chairpersons, flag bearers, and mobilizers spanning Busia’s 568 villages. Earlier in March 2024, she presided over Busia District’s International Women’s Day celebrations as Chief Guest at Masafu Town Council Grounds.
While her previous meetings focused heavily on party organization, her latest visit centered on a core operational message: ensuring government money delivered to the village delivers visible wealth.
For Nekesa, success under President Museveni’s government must be measured by what citizens actually achieve on the ground—a farmer expanding coffee output, a family expanding a livestock herd, or a local vendor growing a enterprise. Where corruption threatens to wreck those prospects, she expects local leaders and the community to fight back and expose the culprits.
The post EXPOSE THE THIEVES! NRM Treasurer Barbara Nekesa Rallies Busia Leaders to Safeguard PDM Funds, Drive Household Wealth Creation appeared first on Watchdog Uganda.