President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has reiterated that every Ugandan household must participate in a wealth-creation activity under the Parish Development Model (PDM) as a pathway out of poverty.
During a community meeting held in Lusenke Village, Kome Ward, Kanoni Town Council in Gomba East Constituency, President Museveni emphasized that the PDM aims to transition all Ugandans—especially those engaged in subsistence agriculture—into the money economy through enterprise development.
The President made these remarks during a visit to Ms. Namutebi Deborah and her husband, Mr. Godfrey Lubega, beneficiary of the PDM, is involved in poultry farming and animal husbandry.
“I congratulate Namutebi and her husband for wisely using the PDM funds to lift themselves out of poverty. Every household must engage in a wealth-creating activity. “Once there is wealth in your home, everything else will follow,” he said.
He urged the public to differentiate between national development projects-like roads, electricity, and health centers—and individual wealth creation, which he described as a personal responsibility.
“Development is for everyone, but wealth or poverty is personal. “A tarmacked road can pass by your home, but if you do nothing, you will remain poor,” he said.
Museveni cited the example of the Masaka-Soroti road, which has been tarmacked since 1963 and reconstructed twice, yet poverty still lingers in the surrounding communities.
“Development has been here for 60 years, but people remain poor,” he said. “When I moved to Kisozi in 1990, there was no road or electricity—but I saw opportunities. By the time tarmac and power came, I was already wealthy.”
He also reflected on previous government initiatives aimed at wealth creation, including:
- Entandikwa (1995) – a microfinance initiative
- Plan for Modernization of Agriculture (PMA)
- National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS)
- Operation Wealth Creation (OWC)
President Museveni noted that all these efforts—including the PDM, launched in February 2022—share a common goal: to awaken Ugandans to economic opportunity and move them from poverty to prosperity.
Under the PDM, each parish in Uganda receives Shs 100 million annually, disbursed to households through Parish SACCOs.
Museveni commended Ms. Namutebi as a model PDM beneficiary, likening her to the biblical seed that fell on fertile soil and produced fruit.
“I want to thank Namutebi for being a good seed. She has become an example for others to emulate,” he said.
To support her growing enterprise, President Museveni pledged the following:purchase of 3 acres of land for expansion, provision of Shs 15 million, including: Shs 12 million for a tuk-tuk (three-wheeled vehicle), Shs 3.5 million to connect her home to electricity, a cash gift of Shs 1 million to each of the 10 PDM beneficiaries present
Ms. Namutebi, a member of Koome Kanoni PDM SACCO under Group A – Poultry Enterprises, shared her journey with the President.
“When I received Shs 1 million, I abandoned the idea of taking a bank loan. I diversified into goat rearing, starting with four goats—now I have 15. “People who think Shs 1 million is little simply don’t know how to use it,” she said.
She added that she now has 300 broiler chickens, can support her family and educate her children, and aspires to expand to 2,000 chickens and start a feed milling business.
Greater Mpigi Region, which includes Mpigi, Gomba, and Butambala districts, has a population of 672,326 (UBOS 2024). It comprises five constituencies, 25 sub-counties, divisions and town councils, 154 parishes, and 964 villages.
To date, Shs 33.429 billion has been disbursed to 130 PDM SACCOs across the region: Mpigi: Shs. 14,400 billion, Gomba: Shs 12,600 billion, Butambala: Shs 6.428 billion.
Allocations vary according to the number of parishes in each district.
NRM Deputy Secretary General, Rose Namayanja Nsereko, welcomed President Museveni to Gomba and praised his decision to allocate an additional Shs 1 trillion to the national budget to expand the PDM program.