President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has declared that Ugandans who misuse the Shs. 1 million Parish Development Model (PDM) funds will face arrest and unpaid labor in government prisons. The President made the announcement on Thursday, February 27, 2025, during a media briefing at his Rwakitura country home with journalists from the Ankole subregion.
“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 said.
The President’s directive comes amid reports that some beneficiaries are using the funds for purposes other than wealth creation, such as buying foodstuffs or paying school fees. Under the PDM program, the government allocates Shs. 100 million annually to 100 households in each parish through their SACCOs.
Museveni, currently on a performance assessment tour of the Ankole subregion, stated that offenders will work for ten months without pay to recover the misused Shs. 1 million, equivalent to Shs. 100,000 per month.
He also addressed theft of PDM beneficiaries’ assets, revealing plans to issue an executive order denying bail or police bond to those stealing items like cows, goats, and pigs. “Very soon, I will issue that executive order. We are in touch with the judiciary about this,” he said.
The President expressed concern over reports of commercial officers extorting money from beneficiaries, urging their arrest. “The parish SACCOs, through their leadership, are responsible for their money. They are the ones to decide who should get the money and ensure all homesteads in the parish access it,” he emphasized.
On agricultural production, Museveni reiterated plans to establish factories to add value to surplus items like eggs, citing the success of milk processing. “When Ugandans started producing milk, we discovered the internal market was insufficient. Milk production rose from 200 million liters a year to 5.3 billion, yet Ugandans consume only 800 million. We decided to add value, and now we export powdered milk,” he said.
In a gesture to support local journalists, Museveni pledged Shs. 100 million to capitalize the Mbarara Journalists’ SACCO and donated a 36-seater coaster bus to aid their operations.
The President’s measures aim to ensure the PDM program achieves its goal of lifting Ugandans out of poverty while holding accountable those who undermine its objectives.