President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has commended the Parish Development Model (PDM) for driving rural communities toward a cash-based economy. During his PDM performance assessment tour in the Busoga Sub-Region, the President visited a beneficiary, Eliot Mukasa, in Nawampiti Sub-County, Luuka District, where he highlighted the impact of the initiative.
Mukasa, who initially received Shs 1 million in the first phase of 2022/2023, invested in passion fruit farming, vegetables, and later diversified into livestock. During the visit, President Museveni praised Mukasa's efforts and announced additional financial support to further his progress.
“I’m very happy to see that people are waking up,” Museveni said. He handed Shs 10 million to Mukasa, allocating Shs 5 million for land acquisition and Shs 5 million for goats. The President also gave Mukasa an extra Shs 6 million to purchase a motorcycle for transporting goods. Another Shs 10 million was distributed among 10 other farmers present at the event.
President Museveni reflected on Uganda’s agricultural transformation, emphasizing that programs like the PDM build on earlier efforts to modernize farming practices. “We started with those balaalo (cattle keepers) of yours... and showed them they could become modern farmers,” he said. He noted that the PDM has further enhanced this transition by providing direct financial support to farmers through SACCOs.
The President highlighted the program's scalability, stating, “The plan is to give Shs 100 million to 100 homesteads per year. In three years, we will have covered 300 homesteads per parish.”
Mukasa expressed gratitude for the PDM’s impact on his livelihood. “The financial boost of Shs 1 million changed my life,” he said, crediting the program for enabling him to expand his farming operations.
Babirye Milly Babalanda, the Minister for Presidency, lauded the PDM as a transformative initiative. “This program is the most successful in changing people’s lives,” she said. Similarly, Joseph Musongole, chairman of the Bugomba Nawampiti PDM SACCO, revealed that 217 out of 1,066 registered members have benefited from the program in Nawampiti.
Luuka’s Resident District Commissioner, Katende Ronald Kinene, noted that the program targets individuals still engaged in subsistence farming. “We’re grateful that Mukasa Eliot has become an example to many youths in the parish,” he said.
The PDM, launched in 2022, aims to reduce poverty at the grassroots by integrating subsistence farmers into the monetary economy. The initiative supports diverse income-generating activities, empowering communities to achieve sustainable development.