President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has warned that Ugandans who misuse the Shs 1 million Parish Development Model (PDM) fund will be arrested and forced to work without pay in government prisons.
“We shall arrest those who misuse PDM money and make them pay through labour while in prison. In the prisons, there is a lot of work—cultivating maize, cotton, and other crops—so those who misuse these funds will work there without pay,” President Museveni stated.
He made these remarks on Thursday, February 27, 2025, during an interaction with journalists from the Ankole subregion at his country home in Rwakitura.
Journalists informed the President that while he has been visiting farmers to assess the impact of the PDM programme, many beneficiaries have been using the money to buy food or pay school fees instead of investing in productive activities.
The PDM programme provides Shs 100 million per financial year to 100 households per parish through their SACCOs. However, President Museveni, who is currently on a performance assessment tour of wealth creation in Ankole, warned that those who misuse the funds will be required to work for at least ten months (equivalent to Shs 100,000 per month) until the full amount is recovered.
Regarding theft, he revealed that the government is engaging with the judiciary to ensure that those caught stealing livestock or produce from PDM beneficiaries are denied bail or police bond.
“Very soon, I will issue an executive order on this matter. We are in discussions with the judiciary,” he said.
President Museveni also expressed concern over reports that some commercial officers have been extorting money from PDM beneficiaries, emphasising that such officials should be arrested.
“The parish SACCOs, through their leadership, are responsible for managing these funds. They are the ones to decide who gets the money and ensure that all homesteads in the parish benefit,” he noted.
Addressing concerns over excess production in certain agricultural sectors, such as poultry farming, the President reiterated the government’s commitment to establishing value-addition industries.
“When Ugandans started producing milk, we realised that the internal market was too small. Milk production rose from 200 million litres a year to 5.3 billion litres, yet Ugandans consume only 800 million. So, we invested in value addition and started exporting powdered milk,” he explained.
He added that similar measures would be taken to process eggs and other agricultural products to prevent market saturation.
In a gesture of support, President Museveni pledged Shs 100 million to capitalise Mbarara Journalists’ SACCO and promised to provide them with a 36-seater coaster bus to facilitate their operations.