By Jamillah Kemigisa
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has commended the transformative impact of the Parish Development Model (PDM), using the inspiring journey of Mr. Deo Katuramu—a former hawker turned thriving farmer—to illustrate the initiative’s grassroots potential.
Kicking off his PDM monitoring and assessment tour in the Tooro region, the President visited Kyakahinda Village in Kibiito Town Council, where Katuramu resides. Once a hawker and taxi driver in Kampala, Katuramu returned to his native Bunyangabu District and secured a one-million-shilling loan from the PDM fund. He invested in a modest piggery business, starting with just three pigs. Two years later, he runs a growing agri-business that includes a banana plantation, a dairy cow, and earns over 500,000 shillings monthly from sales of produce, piglets, and manure.
“This is exactly what the Parish Development Model was designed for,” President Museveni remarked. “When we stop scattering priorities and instead focus on strategic interventions, true transformation is achieved.”
As a mark of recognition and to further boost Katuramu’s efforts, the President injected an additional 30 million shillings into his enterprise. The support package includes a water tank, two more cows, and a tricycle (Tukutuku), effectively making him a model PDM farmer for the region. An additional 10 million shillings was distributed among other PDM beneficiaries present, while implementers of the program received various logistical donations to enhance performance.
Local leaders echoed the program’s growing impact. Bunyangabu District Commercial Officer Peter Nyakana Kabagambe reported that over 10,000 beneficiaries have received a total of 12.5 billion shillings, mostly invested in agriculture, leading to increased production and food surplus.
Hon. Peace Mutuuzo, the Woman MP for Bunyangabu and Minister of State for Gender and Culture, noted the district’s strategic decision to enroll all subsistence farmers into the PDM. She also emphasized efforts to mobilize PLE and USE graduates into income-generating ventures to strengthen community resilience.
Launched in 2022, the PDM aims to transition Uganda’s rural households from subsistence farming to commercial production. It positions the parish as the core unit for development, with direct funding channeled through organized SACCOs to support community-driven, income-generating projects—especially in agriculture. The model is structured around seven pillars, including production, infrastructure, financial inclusion, social services, and data-driven planning. It targets over 3.5 million households still stuck in subsistence livelihoods.
Billions have already been disbursed under the PDM nationwide, and President Museveni’s regional tours serve to assess progress, amplify success stories, and address bottlenecks in implementation.
During the visit, the President also announced a key policy shift—prohibiting districts from using the 1.3 billion shillings in annual road funds for bridge rehabilitation. He revealed that a dedicated fund will be created for bridge works to prevent resource overstretching. This followed a concern raised by Kabarole LC5 Chairperson James Ategeka about a blocked 4-billion-shilling bridge project in Bunyangabu.
First Lady and Education Minister Maama Janet Kataha Museveni praised the PDM as central to Uganda’s drive toward middle-income status. She said stories like Katuramu’s exemplify the program’s power to transform ordinary lives. She also outlined plans to revamp traditional schools, reinforcing universal education efforts to ensure no child is left behind.
With thousands already benefiting and success stories like Katuramu’s emerging across the country, the PDM is fast becoming a cornerstone of Uganda’s development strategy. President Museveni concluded with a clear message:
“This is not charity—it is economic liberation. And it begins at the parish.”
gluyf2