By Aggrey Baba
Ntungamo and Rukungiri have been ranked among the best performers in the ongoing Parish Development Model (PDM) programme, while Karenga, Kotido, Mityana, Mukono and Fort Portal city have been named the worst performers.
This is according to a new assessment report from the Ministry of Finance dated July 17, which shows that over UGX 3.2 trillion has been sent to PDM SACCOs in 10,594 parishes across Uganda, and so far, about 2.9 million Ugandans have received money under the Parish Revolving Fund (PRF), showing that the programme is reaching many people.
Nationally, over 87% of the money has been given out to beneficiaries, leaving UGX 407.9 billion still not disbursed.
Ntungamo municipal council topped the list by giving out ugx.86 billion to 1,874 beneficiaries, more than what they had received. Rukungiri municipal council also did well, disbursing ugx.7 billion to 3,735 people, showing that both areas worked quickly to reach their communities.
Other top-performing districts include Amuru, which gave out UGX 17.8 billion to 17,811 people, and Oyam, which disbursed UGX 22.5 billion to 22,667 beneficiaries. Kwania also impressed, with over 99% of its money reaching the people.
On the other hand, Karenga and Kotido districts were among the worst, with officials in Karenga saying many people don’t have phones or national IDs, both needed to get the money. There are also no nearby banks, with the nearest bank being 120km away in Kitgum and another 140km away in Kotido.
Mityana district also had delays because they took long to register on the WENDI system, a digital wallet designed to help PDM beneficiaries receive money without needing a bank account or smartphone, while Mukono municipal council defended itself, saying most of its money had been disbursed, except for the last batch received in June.
The government distributed over 23,000 tablets and power banks to support digital loan processing at the parish level, and Parish chiefs and SACCO leaders are now using these tools to manage the money better.
In Rukungiri, outgoing town leaders said their good performance was due to teamwork and acting fast, adding that when the money comes, they don’t wait on anything to give it out.
Finance ministry officials said that in the new financial year 2025/26, UGX1 trillion will be sent to all the functional parishes. Most regions are already performing well, with between 86% and 97% of money disbursed.
President Yoweri Museveni has so far warned officials against stealing PDM funds, saying anyone caught misusing this money should not be given Police bond. Museveni added that PDM and Emyooga funds are key to improving Ugandans’ incomes and must be protected at all costs.
The PDM programme was started in 2022 to help 39% of Ugandan households move from subsistence farming into the money economy, and the programme supports agricultural activities, saving groups, and enterprise development at the parish level.
Each SACCO receives funding and gives out loans to enterprise groups at a low interest rate of 6% per year, while loan recovery is expected within three years.
The government says it is now using a tracking system that follows the money from the Ministry of Finance to the final beneficiary, making it harder for any misuse to go unnoticed, with officials believing the programme is on the right track and that even the poorly performing districts will catch up soon as they solve issues like poor internet, lack of IDs, and mobile access.
