President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has commended the people of Rubirizi District for effectively utilizing funds from the Parish Development Model (PDM) to improve their livelihoods.
“I want to thank the people of this area for using the PDM money well. We shall continue adding more funds every year. The money belongs to you through your Parish SACCO,” Museveni said during his wealth creation and PDM performance assessment tour in Ankole sub-region.
While visiting the farm of PDM beneficiary Tumusiime Desirata in Kizurugo village, Museveni emphasized that wealth creation has been a key pillar of his leadership since the 1960s. He reiterated his long-standing message that households with limited land should adopt commercial farming by growing coffee, fruits, pasture for dairy cows, and food crops while engaging in poultry, piggery, and fish farming where possible.
“We introduced the PDM so that people can manage the funds themselves and decide how to use them productively at the parish level,” he said.
Museveni blamed Africa’s underdevelopment on poor leadership, comparing politicians to doctors who must correctly diagnose problems to prescribe the right solutions. “That’s the problem with Africa. It has bad leaders who don’t advise their people and offer wrong prescriptions that kill them,” he warned.
He also urged Ankole residents to reject politics based on tribal and religious identities.
During the visit, Museveni donated Shs 10 million to Mrs. Tumusiime to expand her farm. She expressed gratitude for the initiative, revealing that the Shs 1 million she received in May 2023 enabled her to buy pigs, which have since multiplied and increased her income. “All the things I have now, Your Excellency, are because of you,” she said.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Rt. Thomas Tayebwa praised the PDM for transforming livelihoods in Ankole. He called on local leaders to emulate Museveni by personally supervising the program to ensure its success.
Museveni later toured Pamoja Mixed Farm in Sheema District, owned by Abenawe Honest Bamanyisha, a retired civil servant. Since starting with two acres in 2016, Abenawe has expanded to six acres of bananas, a coffee plantation, 20 heifers under zero grazing, and fishponds. She employs 30 workers.
She thanked Museveni for promoting wealth creation and encouraged Ugandans to embrace commercial farming to improve household incomes. In support of her efforts, Museveni pledged to donate 10 heifers and a Canter truck to her farm.
Sheema North MP Naome Kibaaju appealed to the President to tarmac the Bwizibwera-Nyakambu-Kabwohe-Kitagata-Rukungiri road, upgrade Kitagata Hospital to a regional facility, and extend electricity to rural areas.
Ministers, Members of Parliament, and local leaders attended the events.