The NRM Deputy Secretary General, Rt. Hon. Rose Namayanja Nsereko, has called on local leaders to intensify monitoring of Parish Development Model (PDM) activities to ensure the programme achieves its intended goal of moving households out of poverty.
Namayanja made the call at Bukakala Village in Semuto Sub-county, Nakaseke District, while closing a two-day training for 250 PDM SACCO leaders and beneficiaries drawn from Semuto Sub-county and Kirema Parish.
The training equipped SACCO leaders with skills in programme management, financial management and loan recovery.
Addressing participants, Namayanja said PDM is a flagship government programme that directly touches the wealth of individual households and therefore requires close supervision by local leaders.
“The government is doing many things, including constructing schools, health centres and roads. But PDM is crucial in the sense that it touches on the wealth of individuals. As leaders, be part of its management to ensure it succeeds,” she said.
She urged local leaders to join PDM SACCOs as members, not necessarily to access loans, but to participate in meetings, follow up activities and provide leadership.
“My husband, Hon. Charles Nsereko Basajjassubi, and I are going to join a PDM SACCO to ensure that we participate in its activities as an example to other leaders. There is no problem for leaders to attend Parish Development Committee meetings as councillors or LC III chairpersons,” she noted.
Namayanja also warned against extortion in the programme and urged beneficiaries to report any leader who demands money in exchange for loan disbursement.
“This is kisanja no corruption. Any person who dares to ask for bribes from you, kindly report to higher authorities and we deal with him or her,” she emphasized.
She further appealed to SACCO leaders to ensure effective loan recovery, explaining that recovered funds do not return to the Consolidated Fund but remain within the SACCOs to benefit other members of the community.
Dr. Edward Katende, the Executive Director of Uganda Development Forum, said the organisation is committed to working with stakeholders to fight poverty through effective implementation of the Parish Development Model.
Katende revealed plans to establish a Practical Training Centre in Kirema Parish to equip PDM beneficiaries with hands-on skills and enterprise development knowledge before funds are injected into their businesses. He noted that the Shs1 million given to beneficiaries can significantly transform households if used productively.
Henry Nswemu, the LC III Chairperson of Semuto Sub-county, welcomed the training, saying it has strengthened the capacity of SACCO leaders to manage the programme and renewed hope among communities. He said after the electoral period, the sub-county will put more effort into ensuring funds are recovered and utilized for their intended purposes.
Through the Parish Development Model, government has so far disbursed Shs29 billion to 71 parishes in Nakaseke District.
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