MBARARA — Dr. Robert Mwesigwa Rukaari, the Member of Parliament for Mbarara North City Division, has reflected on his instrumental role in the formulation of Uganda’s Parish Development Model (PDM) as President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni embarked on a tour of the Ankole subregion to assess the initiative’s progress.
Rukaari, a prominent advocate for economic empowerment, recalled how in 2019 he hosted a seven-member team assigned by the Central Executive Committee (CEC) at his private office in Kololo for three months to develop a strategy aimed at lifting millions of Ugandans out of poverty.
The team, chaired by former Minister of Finance Prof. Ezra Suruma, ultimately crafted the framework for the PDM, now one of the government’s flagship anti-poverty programs.
“As we welcome His Excellency to Ankole, I want to express my gratitude to the team whose dedication helped bring the PDM to life. Their work has been pivotal in reshaping Uganda’s economic landscape,” Rukaari said during President Museveni’s performance assessment tour on wealth creation.
The PDM seeks to transition Ugandans from subsistence farming to commercial production through targeted support at the parish level. Its impact was evident during President Museveni’s visit to Kyarukobwa village in Ibanda municipality, where he met Harriet Ahimbisibwe, a PDM beneficiary whose piggery enterprise has transformed her livelihood.
Ahimbisibwe, a primary school dropout, used a Shs 880,000 loan from her PDM group to purchase two pigs. Her determination has since expanded her farm to 21 pigs, enabling her to buy land, rent additional farmland, and boost her banana plantation with pig manure. “Her mindset is as sharp as someone who completed Senior Six,” Museveni remarked, pledging Shs 10 million and promising transport support for her farm.
Rukaari commended such success stories, noting that the PDM was designed precisely to uplift Ugandans like Ahimbisibwe.
President Museveni used the tour to reaffirm his commitment to supporting the economically marginalized, addressing critics who questioned his visits to small-scale farmers. “Jesus came for the poor, not those already doing well. Our focus is on helping those still outside the money economy,” he stated.
Highlighting Uganda’s economic evolution, Museveni noted that while only 10% of the population participated in the money economy in the 1960s, that figure now stands at 68%. “We are working to reach the remaining 32% through programs like the PDM and Operation Wealth Creation,” he said.
The President also warned local leaders against corruption, emphasizing that PDM funds are public resources meant for community development. “Those stealing this money are betraying their own people,” he cautioned.
Museveni unveiled plans to upgrade key infrastructure, such as the Kagongo road and the Ibanda–Mbarara highway, to further stimulate regional economic growth.
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