Museveni Pledges Increased Parish Development Model Funding for Urban Parishes

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has announced plans to increase funding for the Parish Development Model (PDM), with a particular focus on urban and town parishes, where population density and the number of potential beneficiaries are significantly higher than in rural areas.

Currently, each parish receives UGX 100 million annually under the PDM framework, with the funds intended to support 100 households with UGX 1 million each for income-generating activities. However, President Museveni said this allocation is just a starting point and pledged to increase funding, especially for urban parishes, recognising that a uniform allocation may not adequately address the greater needs in more densely populated areas.

“This UGX 100 million is just the beginning. We are going to put more money into the urban PDM parishes where there are many people. This money is yours. My advice is: don’t let anyone play around with it,” he stated.

The President made the remarks on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, during the third day of his PDM assessment tour. He visited Ms. Lillian Nagawa, a beneficiary of the program from Kaazi Village, Busabala Parish in Makindye Ssabagabo, Wakiso District.

Ms. Nagawa received her UGX 1 million in April 2024. She initially invested in piggery but later shifted to poultry farming after a pig flu outbreak. She has since expanded into goat rearing and now owns over 200 chickens and six goats. On Eid Day, she earned UGX 1.6 million from selling broilers and reinvested part of the profits into livestock.

“I plan to have 20,000 chickens, more goats, and, if possible, cows because I know how to take care of them,” she shared.

Ms. Nagawa also encouraged fellow Ugandans to embrace government initiatives like the PDM, describing them as a lifeline for low-income earners.

President Museveni praised her entrepreneurial spirit and effective use of the PDM funds, calling her a testament to the model’s impact when implemented well.

“I’m very happy to join you and see that you’re progressing well with the Parish Development Model. I’m also impressed by the uptake and use of PDM funds in Makindye Ssabagabo,” the President said.

To support her growing enterprise, President Museveni donated UGX 10 million to Ms. Nagawa and promised to send a team to construct a modern poultry house for her. He also extended UGX 10 million to ten other PDM beneficiaries in Busabala Parish (UGX 1 million each) and UGX 12 million to facilitate the purchase of a three-wheeled motorized vehicle (tuk-tuk) to support the local PDM SACCO.

The President reaffirmed the government’s commitment to community empowerment through the PDM and Emyooga programs, initiatives designed to transition Ugandans from subsistence to market economies and reduce dependency on exploitative moneylenders.

“If we manage this money well, UGX 100 million per parish per year, you will find that in five years, you have UGX 800 million, and in ten years, UGX 1.6 billion in your parish bank,” he explained.

He emphasized the difference between infrastructure development and individual wealth creation, urging Ugandans to focus on household-level economic transformation.

“You can have a tarmac road for 60 years, but poor people can still live beside it,” he noted, recalling his experiences travelling Uganda in the 1960s. “That is why the NRM said: on top of development, let us add another word, wealth.”

He concluded by calling on Ugandans to actively engage in commercial agriculture, service provision, or manufacturing as pathways to sustainable wealth and poverty eradication.

Ms. Nagawa thanked President Museveni for reaching out to grassroots communities and delivering support directly to the people.