In a tour that highlighted the tangible impact of the Parish Development Model (PDM) on rural households, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni praised Ms. Florence Nabutono of Bukoda Cell, Kasasira Town Council in Kibuku District for her inspiring journey in wealth creation.
Ms. Nabutono is the LC1 Chairperson of Bukoda Cell and a model farmer in the area.
As part of his ongoing performance assessment zonal tour for the PDM in Bukedi Subregion, President Museveni expressed admiration for the impressive development of Ms. Nabutono’s homestead and commended her for embracing the government’s message of self-driven wealth creation.
During the tour, President Museveni urged Ugandans to adopt a similar entrepreneurial mindset, stressing that no one should experience poverty in a country as resource-rich as Uganda. He emphasised that with determination and practical efforts, everyone has the potential to transform their lives.
“I want to congratulate the family of Nabutono because of waking up and taking advantage of our advice and also our little support. We have been doing this since 1996 but many people, especially the leaders, were not taking it up and educating the people on how to get out of poverty,” he noted.
“Bukedi is a very rich area; the whole of Uganda is actually very rich, so what some people call poverty is ignorance. There’s no poverty here; I cannot be poor here in Uganda. So, I’m glad that our people are slowly coming up.”
The President also acknowledged Ms. Nabutono’s progress in building her farming business, which began with only 1 million Ugandan shillings she got from her Parish PDM SACCO. With this modest investment, she purchased a pig, which eventually multiplied. By selling some of the offspring, she was able to pay her children’s school fees and diversify her farm, adding poultry to her operations.
“I’m glad about the way you are using the 1 million Ugandan shillings per family. You have seen what one million Ugandan shillings can do.”
Impressed by her achievements, President Museveni provided her with an additional 10 million Ugandan shillings to purchase dairy cows, advising her to buy a lactating cow and one that is expecting.
He explained that a dairy cow would provide consistent milk, enabling her to support her family while generating extra income by selling the surplus. He also recommended using part of the funds to improve her piggery by roofing the pigsty.
President Museveni also noted that Ms. Nabutono’s example should encourage others to adopt the principles of wealth creation.
“I will support Nabutono because she is doing well, but we need everyone to come up,” he said.
Acknowledging the importance of support to livestock farmers, President Museveni proposed establishing feed-chopping machines at the sub-county level in Kibuku District to make animal feed more accessible and affordable. He directed the Vice President, H.E Jessica Alupo to work on identifying a suitable location for the facility.
Ms. Nabutono expressed gratitude to President Museveni and shared her experience with the PDM, explaining how it has empowered her to uplift her family.
She expressed her desire to expand into dairy farming, noting that milk production would provide a stable source of income for her family.
She also highlighted the challenge of securing animal feeds, which remains a significant hurdle for many farmers.
The event was also attended by Vice President H.E Jessica Alupo, ministers, Members of Parliament, and local leaders, who applauded the success story of Ms. Nabutono as a testament to the transformative potential of the Parish Development Model.
