Kalaki stuck with Shs1.9billion PDM funds

The technical officers in Kalaki District have failed to disburse about Shs1.98 billion to registered beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model (PDM). PDM is a poverty alleviation programme which was launched last year.

Mr Christopher Okumu, the chief administrative officer (CAO) for Kalaki District, attributed the failure to the absence of guidelines.

He said the PDM guidelines have time and again been altered, adding that in the current stalemate of all this indecision from the central government.

Mr Okumu added that the district registered 203 enterprises, which will inform how the individual members will use the money as when it is disbursed to their individual accounts from the 34 Sacco groups that were registered.

“We need to support this initiative from the central government,” Mr Okumu said last Friday after disbursing Shs8.5 million to eight beneficiaries from the Shs1.9 billion reportedly locked up in its district bank account.

The district chairperson, Mr Samuel Okello, said technical officers should expedite the transfer process of money from the Sacco accounts to individuals.

He said the money lying in the bank account is of no essence because the beneficiaries have waited for over a year now, and there is nothing coming into their respective bank accounts.

“If possible, let’s have this money transferred to beneficiaries within two weeks’ time. Time is of essence if this project is to succeed,” Mr Okello explained, at the launch of the disbursement on Wednesday.

Mr Kenneth Obote Ongalo, the state minister for Teso Affairs and  the area MP for Kalaki County, who presided over the disbursement event last Friday, said despite the delays, “that money is not going back anywhere, it is your money”.

16.1 million Ugandans or 3.5 million households are expected to get out of the subsistence agriculture to the money economy under PDM.

“This money is a grant to the parish, which will be revolving. This money is not going anywhere, it is there,” Mr Ongalo emphasised.

The Minister said if PDM fails, the people shouldn’t blame the government but themselves since they have been given ideas about financial inclusion.

In March, the PDM secretariat launched guidelines for the programme, saying they are meant to improve social services in the community.

While releasing the guidelines, Dr Sande Nixon, an economist in the PDM secretariat, said the programme is built on seven pillars but pillar IV provides guidelines which government entities and non-governmental organisations should follow to improve “social services like health, education, agriculture and the environment to the community”. 

In February, President Museveni said local leaders and beneficiaries. are confused about the PDM pillars. 

PDM pillars 
The Parish Development Model is based on seven pillars. They are;
•Production, storage, processing and marketing.
•Infrastructure and economic services
•Financial inclusion
•Social services
•Community mobilisation 
•Mindset change
•Data collection (Parish-based management information system