Parish Development Model: President Museveni Announces Zonal Tours

President Yoweri Museveni announced plans to visit 18 zones of Uganda to inspect the progress of the Parish Development Model

"I shall soon resume touring and inspecting the 18 Zones of Uganda with the NRM’s message of transformation through the Parish Development Model which comes directly under principle no.3: Social-economic transformation," President Museveni said Tuesday morning.

"I have pointed out before, in many writings, that society is like some of the insect species that go through a biological process known as metamorphosis: egg, caterpillar, pupa & mature butterfly. I therefore look forward to seeing the progress on the PDM & Emyooga."

Museveni recently warned against sabotage of the PDM, promising severe penalties.

"I thank the RCC Gulu City, Jane Francis Amongin Okili and her group of local leaders from the Acholi sub-region for bringing to my attention the misappropriation of PDM funds," Museveni tweeted after meeting the RCC at State House in Entebbe over the weekend. "The PDM will not fail, and anyone trying to sabotage it will be dealt with swiftly."

He added: "These funds are meant to directly reach people in the parish so that everybody who wants to engage in wealth creation can join without paying. Why then charge people membership fees?"

He continued: "The NRM will not fail to bring the culprits to book. The government has committed substantial resources to get people out of poverty and we shall crosscheck with the PDM secretariat on the guidelines for forming the parish saccos."

The PDM is aimed at increasing household incomes thereby facilitating sustainable transformation. It is particularly targeting those households that are leaving in subsistence production.

It is anchored in the National Development Plan III and the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Manifesto for 2021-2026.

Implementation of the PDM is through the ‘whole of Government approach’ whereby all ministries participate in providing infrastructure and social-economic services in their respective sectors through the local government structures, focusing at the parish level in a coordinated and mutually reinforcing manner.

This is implemented under seven Pillars of the PDM:

i. Increasing production, productivity, value addition, processing, storage and marketing;

ii. Providing the necessary infrastructure and economic services such as community access roads, affordable and reliable energy, water, insurance and internet services;

iii. Enhancing social services such as education, health, environment protection, improved housing and sanitation;

iv. Financial inclusion for all through affordable parish-based financial services and a revolving fund managed at the parish;

v. Community mobilization, sensitisation and mindset change;

vi. Parish-based information management system; and

vii. Improved governance and administration.

Implementation of the PDM started in July 2021.