Museveni miscalculates: Ugandans cannot get Shs1million each under new government project

According to the head of the project, Local Government minister, Raphael Magyezi, Uganda has 10,594 parishes. With a population of about 45 million people, that means each parish has about 4,250 people.

PDM targets only 39% of Ugandans that are living hand to mouth (those not in the money economy). That is about 18 million people.

However, PDM is further directed at Ugandans living below the poverty line who are about 28% of the population, based on figures from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS).

Magyezi says the government will this year give each parish only Shs17 million, which would not result in the Shs1million per person as the president says in view of a parish having over 4000 persons in it.

However, Magyezi adds, parishes will get more money in the next financial year as PDM will be given an additional Shs100 million per parish.

President Yoweri Museveni officially launched the Parish Development Model (PDM) at Kibuku Primary School, Kibuku district in Bukedi Sub-region about two weeks ago.

PDM seeks to empower Ugandans at the parish level by increasing their household incomes towards the macro development of the nation.

Speaking at the launch, Museveni said the Parish Model is fashioned upon the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) ideology which has laid the foundation for socio-economic transformation by pacifying and securing the entire country, building roads, hospitals, schools, water sources, dams to generate electricity and other public services.

“During the recently concluded elections, we promised you that the 2021-2026 term is going to be a Kisanja (dry banana leaves symbolic of Museveni’s continued tenure) for creating wealth, jobs and incomes for all Ugandans,” Museveni said.

In its 2021-2026 Manifesto, the President said, NRM pledged to employ the Parish Model to reach homesteads practicing outmoded farming methods characterised by subsistence economy in order to elevate them towards the cash economy.

“These guidelines, therefore, have been prepared to direct the implementation of this transformative intervention,” he said.

Museveni called upon all leaders such as political, religious, cultural and other transformational persons to partner with the government towards sensitising Ugandan communities and promoting PDM.

“The efforts now should be sensitizing our people how and who to do what. Because we don’t want our people to do what won’t help them,” he said

Museveni extolled the virtue of transforming the population away from the culture of working for only the stomach towards working for both the stomach and money.

“We must do so with a calculation (ekibalo),” he added.

He also highlighted the perils of land fragmentation, adding that leaders around the country should rally the masses against it.

“This one is very dangerous. All political leaders, religious and cultural leaders should join this effort and tell our people to stop land fragmentation,” the president stated.

By means of PDM, the president revealed, the government will effectively synchronise services with the needs of the people and thereby receive actionable feedback from them on wealth creation and government-provided services as a catalyst of socio-economic transformation.