HAJJI FARUK KIRUNDA: Stealing from PDM beneficiaries a threat to the “gains

A key gain that must be protected in the new term of office is the Parish Development Model (PDM), a flagship strategy aimed at “liberating” Ugandans who previously worked for the stomach only and turning them into thriving, independent wealth creators. PDM was a key campaign pledge of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) in 2021.

And because of it, Ugandans voted back President Yoweri Museveni and he has not disappointed. PDM is in full operation countrywide. Every single parish/ward has benefitted. If holding a million shillings makes one a millionaire, some 300, 000 millionaires have been recruited into the money economy.

PDM is a groundbreaking grassroots economic model operates in a way that bypasses traditional hierarchies, administrative frustrations and delivers seed capital directly to the beneficiaries through their mobile phones. No brokers, no lines, no checkbooks!

Given the financial and administrative commitment, everything will be done to make the initiative succeed. That should be reflected in the livelihoods and standards of living of the people and a ripple effect in the economy. We expect to see increased production of agricultural goods, increased small scale processing, increased business acumen (since beneficiaries are expected to expand their ventures, harvest bigger, have some to eat and put the excess on the market) and a balanced economy where even the lowest person can contribute to the national economy.

In the midst of this optimism and with PDM making four years in February next year since President Museveni launched it, there are some notable malpractices that threaten its success. Extortion and unfair selection of beneficiaries are among them.

During my mobilisation runs in Busoga sub-region which has so far received a total sum of Shs289,086,989,531 in the fifteen administrative units (districts, Jinja city and municipalities), i had radio interactions with the public in which callers reported a number of cases that are since being followed up.

A major case involved the Community Development Officer (CDO) of Buloopa Sub-County in Kamuli district. This CDO crafted a terrible scheme in which he would take at least Shs100,000 from beneficiaries whenever money hit their mobile phone. Extortion has been one of the main malpractices since PDM started and many officials in various districts and cities involved were identified and arrested. Some refunded the money while others were arraigned in court.

But it appears that the vice has persisted, despite safeguards put in place and appeals to beneficiaries not to cooperate with these corrupt “leeches” playing about with their opportunity to sow and reap wealth. The Buloopa CDO, realizing that beneficiaries were not cooperating, devised a method of taking phones from beneficiaries who were awaiting money on their accounts. He would take the phones while claiming that there was a problem with the network and that money was delaying to get reflected on the accounts. He would use that trick to demand for the mobile money password, deduct money illegally, delete the messages and hand back the phones to the owners. This way, he stole Shs19million in total before his actions were unearthed. This is “treasonous”, in my view.

Someone, paid by government, exploiting Ugandans and trying to keep them in perpetual poverty is a traitor and deserves to be treated as such. The courts should be very stern when dealing with such economic criminals as a deterrent to others. Why should someone earning a government salary want to take the little from an old woman or young person who has never had a chance to touch a million before? This is a very bad heart. The same people are responsible for endless corruption that discredits the NRM government, civil servants that lack patriotism; a Godless lot whose happiness is in how much they extract from Government and other citizens but not what they give in service.

We trust that many CDOs are doing a good and honest job and the few unserious ones shouldn’t destroy the goodwill of everyone. Persistence of extortionist practices points to irregularities in the selection process of beneficiaries.

Another anomaly noted by callers is selection of beneficiaries from places where they work rather than where they live. This practice confuses the process and complicates monitoring and likely contributes to acts of bribery with ineligible people being put on the list after parting with bribes. Someone can as well shift to another work place after getting the money unlike someone who is resident in a place for long.

The task falls back on Resident District/City Commissioners (RDCs/RCCs) who are frontliners in the fight against corruption and extortion in PDM and other wealth creation programmes, working with teams of DISOs and GISOs, police and the courts. RDCs should closely supervise this process to certify that beneficiaries are selected according to the guidelines and no one asks for or pays bribes to influence the list. Before each disbursement, barazas (community gatherings) should be held at which qualifying names are read out so that residents can confirm that those selected are genuine. During the same activity, they should visit earlier beneficiaries to check on how they utilised the funds they received. Such vigilance and oversight will keep everyone in check, aware that all eyes are on the ground at any stage.

PDM is a big gain for Ugandans that needs to be protected by all means. We have heard of opposition candidates stating how they would abolish the programme yet it doesn’t only benefit NRM. It’s an initiative for all without discriminating on the basis of politics, religion or tribe. These enemies of Ugandans who want to destroy our collective gains should not be allowed the chance, together with their corrupt agents within the local governments and civil service.

Happy New Year 2026!

The author is the Special Presidential Assistant-Press & Mobilisation/Deputy Presidential Spokesperson

Email: faruk.kirunda@statehouse.go.ug