President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has praised the Parish Development Model (PDM) for significantly transforming livelihoods in Busoga, citing remarkable success stories of households that have substantially improved their incomes through the initiative.
During his visit to Kalamira Village in Namutumba Town Council, Namutumba District, the President reaffirmed his longstanding commitment to wealth creation, a vision he has championed since the 1960s.
He recounted how he initially worked with Ankole cattle keepers, helping them transition from nomadic practices to productive farming—a model he has since scaled across Uganda.
“In Namutumba, I came to reinforce the message of wealth creation. The PDM is proving to be a vital tool, enabling farmers to access resources directly and enhance their livelihoods. The good thing about PDM funds is that they go straight into the farmers’ accounts without any shortcuts,” President Museveni emphasized.
This visit marked the start of President Museveni’s four-day wealth creation and PDM performance assessment tour in the Busoga sub-region.
The President assured residents that the government would continue to allocate UGX 100 million annually to each parish. He encouraged communities to utilize these funds effectively and acknowledged existing challenges, such as large parish sizes.
He pledged to address these issues after assessing the current implementation of the program.
“The PDM funds are meant for the people; they will not be returned to the government. My focus is to ensure that these funds are making a tangible difference, because what matters most is the example they set,” he said.
The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Community Affairs, Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, supported the President’s remarks. She highlighted the need to address the challenge of large parish sizes, which strain the allocation of UGX 100 million, and called for additional funding for bigger parishes.
President Museveni celebrated the achievements of Mrs. Tolofisa Buwala, a dairy farmer who utilized UGX 1 million from PDM funds, alongside UGX 250,000 from her personal savings, to purchase a dairy cow. The cow now produces five liters of milk daily, of which four liters are sold at UGX 1,400 per liter, significantly boosting her household income. Mrs. Buwala expressed her gratitude and requested support for more cows and silage transportation to expand her dairy business.
Her husband, Mr. Christopher Samanya, also benefited from government programs. Using mango seeds provided by the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), he now harvests ten sacks of mangoes annually, earning UGX 20,000 per sack. However, he appealed for additional land to grow his fruit business further.
To support their endeavors, President Museveni donated UGX 12 million to Mrs. Buwala to purchase more cows, UGX 6 million for a boda boda to improve transportation, and UGX 12 million to Mr. Samanya to acquire more land for mango farming.
Hon. Akampa Paul, the Member of Parliament for Busiki Constituency, commended the government for its developmental projects in Namutumba District, including improved road networks, seed schools, and healthcare facilities. He assured the President of unwavering support for the National Resistance Movement (NRM) in the forthcoming elections.
The event was attended by several dignitaries, including Rt. Hon. Lukia Nakadama, the Third Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Evelyn Anite, the Minister of State for Investment and Privatization, Hon. Persis Namuganza, the Minister of State for Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, as well as other Members of Parliament and local leaders.
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