Ugandans found guilty of misusing the Shs. 1 million Parish Development Model (PDM) funds will face arrest and be required to work without pay in government prisons, according to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Speaking on Thursday, February 27, 2025, at his country home in Rwakitura during an interaction with journalists from the Ankole subregion, President Museveni emphasized that those who squander PDM funds will be punished through hard labor.
“We shall arrest those who just eat PDM money and pay through labor while in prison. In the prisons, they have a lot of work to cultivate maize, cotton, and other crops, so those who get PDM money and eat it will work there without pay,” Museveni stated.
The President’s directive follows reports from journalists that some beneficiaries misuse the funds to buy foodstuffs or pay school fees instead of investing in income-generating activities.
The PDM program extends Shs. 100 million each financial year to 100 beneficiaries (households) in each parish through their SACCOs.
To ensure accountability, those found guilty will be required to work for at least ten months, calculated at Shs. 100,000 per month, until the Shs. 1 million is fully recovered.
Regarding theft linked to PDM beneficiaries, President Museveni announced that discussions are ongoing with the judiciary to deny bail and police bond to individuals involved in stealing items such as cows, goats, pigs, and produce from PDM-funded projects. “Very soon I will issue that executive order. We are in touch with the judiciary about this,” he affirmed.
President Museveni expressed shock over reports that some commercial officers were extorting money from PDM beneficiaries. He ordered that such individuals be arrested, emphasizing that the leadership of parish SACCOs is responsible for managing and distributing the funds to ensure every household in the parish benefits.
Addressing concerns about the excess production of items like eggs, the President reiterated his government’s commitment to value addition, drawing parallels to the dairy industry. “When Ugandans started producing milk, we discovered that the internal market was insufficient. Milk production rose from 200 million liters a year to now 5.3 billion, yet Ugandans consume only 800 million. We decided to add value, and now we export powdered milk,” he explained.
In support of local journalism, President Museveni pledged Shs. 100 million to capitalize the Mbarara Journalists’ SACCO and promised a 36-seater coaster bus to aid their operations.
The President’s tough stance on PDM fund misuse aims to enhance accountability and productivity among beneficiaries while ensuring the program’s long-term success in uplifting local communities.