President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has appealed to leaders at all levels in the Kigezi sub-region to prioritize wealth creation and household income which is key to reducing poverty and driving socio-economic growth.
“My main message to all of you is prioritizing the National Resistance Movement (NRM) message on wealth creation. Uganda has so many development needs; it is alright to talk about them, but prioritizing is crucial. Like the Bible tells us: seek me first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you,” he said.
The President, who is on a performance assessment tour on wealth creation and the Parish Development Model (PDM) in Kigezi, made the remarks yesterday while meeting leaders in the subregion at Rukungiri Stadium, Rukungiri municipality.
The PDM is a government initiative aimed at transforming Uganda’s economy by extending financial assistance directly to the people outside the money economy, at the parish level to help lift households out of poverty. Each parish SACCO receives Shs. 100 million in a financial year to develop and implement viable income-generating enterprises.
“Leadership is like medical work; just as doctors diagnose patients and prescribe the correct medicine, political leaders must identify societal needs first and address them. This is what the NRM has been telling you since the 1960s,”the President said, adding that it is not only about tarmac roads, electricity, and other infrastructure that will chase poverty out of Uganda but prioritizing initiatives such as the PDM to ensure all households engage in income generating activities such as commercial agriculture.
“That road from Kampala to Mbarara up to Kabale was tarmacked in 1963 after independence and we have been repairing it like three times but even if you go there now, you find the tarmac road with poor peopl by the roadside. For 60 years they have had a tarmac road, but they are poor. Therefore, you the leaders, let us agree on this,” H.E. Museveni noted.
He further informed the leaders that areas like Nyabusozi, which listened to his message, did not have tarmac roads but realized that the dairy sector could get them out of poverty and have since become prosperous.
“Cows don’t mind about tarmac roads or electricity. They only need grass and water. After that experiment from Nyabusozi, I went and briefed the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC), and in 1996 we included in the NRM manifesto that commercial agriculture is the only solution to getting people out of poverty,” the President said, adding that because Ugandans had land but did not know what to do, the NRM encouraged them to do intensive agriculture by using their small portions of land to focus on products with high returns under the four acre model.
In the Manifesto, they recommended seven activities, which include one acre for coffee, another acre for fruits (mangoes, oranges, and pineapples), another one for food crops for the family (cassava, bananas, Irish potatoes, or millet), and the last one for pasture for dairy cattle (about 8 of them). On top of this, one can add on poultry for eggs in the backyard, piggery and fish farming.
“Those who listened to our message have gotten out of poverty. That is what has brought me here. As leaders, leaving our people to languish in poverty yet solutions are there, is a very big mistake,” the President stated while giving an example of the several farmers he has visited countrywide with glowing testimonies of how their life has changed as a result of the PDM funds.
President Museveni further warned about reports of extortion and corruption in the PDM program, promising to reign in and arrest all perpetrators.
“I have heard that there are thieves in PDM. All those who stole money from the poor should return it. I’m on the ground and I’m going to arrest them all. I also stopped all the bank charges. The beneficiary must receive their full Shs. 1 million,” President Museveni warned.
He also reiterated that he had already informed the cabinet of the need to establish a processing factory for the ever-increasing volumes of eggs yet with limited market.
“You have heard that they have a lot of eggs in Kabale and the market of Uganda is not enough. I told the ministers that instead of selling them (eggs) raw or eating them in Rolex chapatis, we need to see that we process those eggs into baby foods. We shall sell both in Uganda and the whole world,” the President highlighted.
“We saw the same thing in the dairy sector after the cattle corridor started producing a lot of milk and the Ugandan market was insufficient. I brought rich people to produce powdered milk which we sell in North Africa and the Middle East,” the President said.
He also promised to return to the subregion for a special meeting focusing on tea growing.
In the same meeting, President Museveni was informed about the silent growing habit of divisions based on religion in Kigezi.
“This must stop immediately. Those creating divisions are greedy enemies of Uganda. Maama Janet and I have bananas in Ntungamo but we sell them to all irrespective of religion. When I was studying at Mbarara High School, the people who bought our cows for me to study were from Kampala and some were Muslims. So, those promoting sectarianism are enemies,” the President stated.
Regarding the issue of environmental protection, the President appealed to the people of Kigezi to use the wetlands correctly because of their crucial role in providing water for agricultural production and home use.
The status of PDM in Kigezi sub-region:
Earlier, the National Coordinator of PDM, Hon. Dennis Galabuzi Ssozi provided a detailed account of the model performance in the Kigezi sub-region.
He informed the meeting that a total of Shs. 88.8 billion has been distributed among 428 PDM SACCOs in the nine local governments of the Kigezi sub region comprising six districts and three municipalities.
The highest beneficiary according to size is Kanungu district with Shs. 20.2 billion and the lowest being Kisoro municipality with Shs. 1.5 billion.
Hon. Gabaluzi, however, noted that whereas the region has been capitalized with shs.88.8 billion, the cumulative disbursement rate to date is Shs. 87.5 billion with the highest disbursement rate being by Rukungiri municipality at a rate of 100.6%.
“This 100.6% means that point six is even interest that has accumulated on the account. So, it is a good disbursement rate,” Hon. Galabuzi said, noting that Rubanda lags in disbursement of PDM funds at 95%.
“So, the total disbursement percentage in the sub-region is at 98.5% which is a good disbursement percentage, but we still desire it to be 100%,” he added, further mentioning that a total of 88,000 households have benefited, the highest number being in Kanungu, at 19,000 households and the smallest being Kisoro. About 38% of the beneficiaries are in crop agriculture and 20% in livestock mainly piggery.
He added that the funds have been distributed well according to the allocated quarters which include; 30% for the youth, 30% for women, 10% for the elders, 10% to persons with disabilities, and 20% for any other member of the community that does not fall in those special interest groups.
“This sample analysis shows that 58% of the beneficiaries are female. This shows that when it comes to livelihoods and trying to improve the livelihoods in your home states, women are more vigilant than men by these figures,” Hon. Gababuzi stated
Although adults between 35 and 59 years are the most beneficiaries, Hon. Galabuzi said the PDM secretariat is impressed by the figures of the elderly above 60 years who have actively participated in the PDM up to 13% which is way beyond their quarter.
“So, we are within the ranges and the targets of what we had set in the beginning, and the intentions and objectives of the PDM are being realized within the statistics. These figures will help us know exactly how to plan, along the value chain, down the value chain, and how to get these products to the market,” he said.
About extortion, bank charges, and other small charges from agents, Hon. Galabuzi clarified that in line with the directive by the President, the PDM secretariat has budgeted for all the charges to ensure beneficiaries get full Shs. 1 million and also ensure that the number of agents are increased to at least per Parish.
“So, we don’t expect any further charges on that money. The beneficiary is supposed to get 1 million shillings without any charge. So, anything less than that is criminality. And the President has given the Secretariat and other security agencies a directive that we shall be arresting anyone who tries to put charges on this money because it’s criminal,” he stated.
Residents share views on PDM performance:
Mr. Mbabazi Pieri, who is a councilor of Hamurwa sub-county and deputy speaker of the Rubanda district, decried the imbalance in PDM distribution within the district, which has led to poor performance. Rubanda district has 17 administrative units, 470 villages, and 69 parishes.
“Hamurwa sub-county has five parishes with 67 villages. Originally it was six parishes. They removed one parish and made it Hamurwa Town Council with 8 villages. Now Hamurwa remains with 65 villages and a town council of 8 villages, two of which form a parish. You find a parish of those two villages, getting Shs. 100 million yet I have a parish in Hamurwa with 16 villages,” Mbabazi said.
Ms. Kembabazi Loy, a female youth Councilor in Kanungu district, called for transparency in selecting beneficiaries, adding that due to corruption, the names of certain beneficiaries are deleted from the list.
Mr. Turyabagyenyi Immy, a councilor representing people with disabilities (PWDs) in the Rukungiri district, thanked the government for considering them (PWDs) in the program but expressed dismay over the exclusion of some of their people, such as the deaf.
“Send us sign language interpreters so that category of people also benefits from the PDM,” Turyabagenyi said.
Mr. Akampurira Gideon from Rukiga district said the exclusion of local government leaders as beneficiaries of the PDM program is affecting its effective implementation.
“We also need to access this money so that we monitor a program that we fully understand,” he said.
Mr. Karuru Godfrey, who hails from Nyanamo Town Council in Bukimbiri County, Kisoro district, said the program intended for poor people has ended up in the hands of the already well-off.
Status of Emyooga in the subregion:
The Minister of State for Microfinance, Hon. Haruna Kasolo Kyeyune made a presentation on the status of the Emyooga program.
According to Hon. Kasolo, the Emyooga program aims at inculcating a saving culture among the beneficiaries in their Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCOs) who earn daily.
The 18 categories per constituency include, among others, Boodaboda riders, taxi operators, market vendors, shoemakers, performing artists, journalists, carpenters, welders, and the fishing communities. Another category of youth leaders and people with disabilities who cannot access loans from commercial banks and local elected leaders from LC 1 to LC 5 have also been included.
He said the Kabale district with 52 SACCOs received Shs. 2.2 billion, Rubanda with 32 SACCOs (Shs. 1.64 billion), Kisoro with 17 SACCOs (Shs. 3.46 billion), Kanungu with 36 SACCOs (Shs. 1.84 billion), Rukiga with 18 SACCOs (Shs. 740 million), and Rukungiri with 54 SACCOs (Shs. 2.5 billion). All these have been prepared to receive additional seed capital of Shs. 20 million that is sent every financial year.
Although the Minister decried defaulters in the program, SACCOs are progressing well in their saving culture to the tune of Shs. 2.52 billion realized as savings. They include Kabale (Shs. 206 million), Rubanda (Shs. 421 million), Kisoro (Shs. 1.1 billion), Kanungu (Shs. 337 million), Rukiga (47 million), and Rukungiri (Shs. 360 million).
“I’m happy to report that the Emyooga program in the Kigezi sub region has been a success, and beneficiaries have utilized their funds well in lending and showcasing impressive products and services,” Minister Kasolo noted, adding that his ministry has carried out capacity building in areas of mindset change, basic records management, cooperative governance, loan management, enterprise selection, planning and management of finances, and also resource mobilization through savings to ensure proper management of the program countrywide.
Some of the best-performing SACCOs in the Kigezi sub region include: Bufumbira North elected local leaders Emyooga SACCO, Kabale Municipality Women Entrepreneurs’ SACCO, Bufumbira East women entrepreneurs SACCO, Kisoro municipality restaurant owners SACCO, Kabale municipality tailoring Emyooga SACCO, Bukimbiri youth leaders SACCOs, Ndorwa East wilders SACCO, Ndorwa East women entrepreneurs SACCO, Kabale municipality local leaders SACCO, and Kinkizi East women entrepreneurs SACCO.
To ensure transparency and recovery of funds from borrowers, Hon. Kasolo informed the meeting that they have partnered with local radio stations that are equipped with lists of beneficiaries and defaulters to remind Ugandans of their obligation to pay back.
In other reports, the Minister of Works and Transport, Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, presented the status of the road infrastructure in the Kigezi sub region, highlighting the national roads connecting the region under his ministry and the district roads managed by the district’s local governments with funding from the central government.
He assured the leaders that all the road projects previously under the defunct Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) will continue, such as the road from Kabale connecting to Lake Bunyonyi and Kisoro-Mgahinga Road, whose construction is expected to kick off at the end of this month.
The Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF), Hon. Frank Tumwebaze, and the Permanent Secretary, MAAIF, Major General David Kasura Kyomukama, also presented a paper on the government policy on agriculture.
The Minister of State for Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives (Industry), who is also Ndorwa County West MP David Bahati, presented a report on the status of the health sector in the Kigezi sub region on behalf of Health Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng.
The meeting was attended by Ministers, Members of Parliament, NRM leaders, local government leaders, among others.
