By John Okello Lapok
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has issued a stern warning to parish and sub-county chiefs in the Bukedi Sub-region, cautioning that any local leader who sidelines the youth, women, or persons with disabilities from benefiting under the Parish Development Model (PDM) will face dismissal.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Pallisa District, the President, who is also the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Presidential flag bearer for the 2026 general elections, said his government will not tolerate misuse or misallocation of funds meant for specific groups under the PDM.
He set out how PDM allocations should be divided and placed responsibility squarely on local leaders to ensure transparent distribution.
“Within the 100 million shillings per parish, 30% belongs to the youth, 30% to the women, and 10% to the disabled. So, I don’t want to hear that story again,” Museveni said.
“If I hear that the youth, the women, or the disabled are not getting their share, I will go for the parish chief first, and I will dismiss them, plus the sub-county chiefs,” he added.
The President’s warning comes amid growing public scrutiny over the implementation of the PDM, a flagship wealth creation and poverty reduction initiative launched in 2022, following reports of mismanagement, favoritism, and delays in disbursement across some parishes.
President Museveni underscored that local leaders bear the greatest responsibility in ensuring transparent and fair distribution of government funds, emphasizing that the success of PDM depends on honest administration at the parish level.
“Let everybody get their share. But also, you, the youth, should join the SACCOs. Go to the Muluka chief and ask them to join the parish SACCOs. Nobody will stop you as long as you’re over 18 years old,” he told the cheering crowd.
The Parish Development Model provides each parish with Shs. 100 million in seed capital to support household enterprises, savings cooperatives, and agricultural productivity.
President Museveni reiterated that these resources were designed to transition rural communities from subsistence to commercial production.
According to official statistics presented at the rally, Pallisa District—with 90 parishes—has so far received Shs. 27.7 billion under the program, with about 98.2% of the funds disbursed to 27,343 beneficiary households.
This accounts for 45% of the district’s total 60,882 households, leaving 55% yet to benefit.Wealth Creation at the Centre of the NRM Message:
Turning to his broader campaign theme, President Museveni revisited the historical evolution of Uganda’s poverty alleviation policies since the NRM took power in 1986.
He said many Ugandans still confuse “development” with “wealth creation,” a misunderstanding he has worked to correct over the years.“Development is for all of us, but wealth is for individuals. What is mine is better than ours. The wealth that you personally create is what sustains your household,” H.E. Museveni explained, citing previous government programs, such as Entandikwa, NAADS, Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), Emyooga, and now PDM, as part of a consistent effort to empower citizens economically.
“From the beginning, we have said that if you want to be well, you must add wealth,” President Museveni said.
He went on:
“We have been pleading with Ugandans to get out of poverty since 1986. Some ignored the message, but others listened, and they are now prosperous.”
To illustrate his point, President Museveni screened video clips of successful farmers who have benefited from government initiatives. Among them was Joseph Ijala of Serere District, who reportedly earns over Shs. 6 million daily from poultry and dairy farming.
“When I visited him, I found him earning 6 million shillings per day from eggs alone, plus Shs.800,000 from milk. That’s Shs. 6.8 million per day,” President Museveni narrated.
