Nekesa urges Busia PDM beneficiaries to invest wisely as farmers hail Museveni

BUSIA — National Resistance Movement (NRM) National Treasurer Hon. Ambassador Barbara Nekesa Oundo has urged beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model (PDM) in Busia District to use the funds for productive investments and reinvest their profits to grow their household enterprises.

Nekesa made the call on Sunday, September 13, 2026, while inspecting PDM-supported projects and interacting with beneficiaries in Majanji as part of her ongoing tour of Busia District.

The NRM National Treasurer visited several enterprises established through government wealth-creation programmes and listened to beneficiaries explain how the support had contributed to improvements in household incomes, food security and access to essential services.

Nekesa said the Shs1 million PDM financing available to individual beneficiaries may appear small, but can become the foundation of a bigger enterprise if invested carefully and managed with discipline.

“There is no little money. People should start small and grow big,” Nekesa told beneficiaries.

She cited examples of successful beneficiaries who have used modest capital to establish enterprises that have continued to expand through reinvestment.

Nekesa encouraged beneficiaries to prioritise ventures with the potential to generate regular income, including crop farming, livestock, poultry, coffee production, fish farming and small-scale businesses.

She also stressed the importance of keeping proper records, planning investments carefully and avoiding the temptation to consume funds intended for income-generating activities.

According to Nekesa, beneficiaries who reinvest profits can gradually increase their capital and create enterprises capable of supporting their families and employing other community members.

She further encouraged PDM beneficiaries to work in organised groups, seek guidance from agricultural extension officers and take advantage of available government technical support to improve production and access better markets.

Farmers credit PDM with improving livelihoods

During the visit, farmers in Majanji shared testimonies about the impact of PDM and other government wealth-creation programmes on their households.

Some beneficiaries said the funds had enabled them to start or expand poultry projects, agricultural activities, fish farming and other small enterprises.

They said the additional income was helping families meet basic needs, including school fees, medical expenses and food, while also improving their ability to save and reinvest.

The farmers expressed appreciation to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and the NRM government for introducing programmes aimed at moving households from subsistence production into the money economy.

One beneficiary said the programmes had changed the way households viewed economic opportunities.

“These programmes have changed our lives. What used to be a struggle for daily survival is now becoming a path to steady income. We thank the President for thinking about the ordinary household,” the farmer said.

Busia focuses on enterprises suited to the area

Production officials and local leaders accompanying Nekesa said many PDM beneficiaries in Busia had invested in enterprises suited to the district's agricultural and geographical conditions.

Among the activities highlighted were coffee farming, fish farming, poultry and other agricultural enterprises.

Officials, however, acknowledged that beneficiaries continue to face challenges, including climate variability, limited irrigation and difficulties in accessing reliable markets.

They called for continued technical support and stronger market linkages to enable farmers to increase production and earn better returns from their enterprises.

Nekesa warns against misuse of PDM funds

Nekesa also called for close monitoring of PDM programmes to ensure that funds reach the intended beneficiaries and are used for their intended purpose.

She warned government officials and other individuals against demanding money from beneficiaries in exchange for accessing government programmes.

She said anyone found soliciting money from beneficiaries should face appropriate consequences.

The Treasurer said the ultimate objective of PDM is not simply to distribute money but to create sustainable household enterprises capable of lifting families out of poverty.

She urged beneficiaries to view the Shs1 million as investment capital rather than free money and challenged them to use it as a stepping stone towards larger enterprises.

Part of wider Bukedi mobilisation

Nekesa's Busia tour is part of her wider engagement with communities in the Bukedi sub-region, where she has been monitoring government programmes and mobilising communities around wealth creation.

She has previously highlighted the role of PDM alongside other government initiatives such as Emyooga and the Youth Livelihood Programme in supporting women, youth and other vulnerable groups.

NRM leaders in the region have increasingly used such programmes to demonstrate the party government's emphasis on household economic transformation.

Nekesa concluded the Majanji engagement by urging beneficiaries to remain disciplined, support one another and focus on growing their enterprises.

She said continued investment, proper management and reinvestment of profits would enable more households in Busia to move from subsistence livelihoods to sustainable participation in the money economy.

Her tour of Busia District is expected to continue with inspections of additional projects and engagements with beneficiaries and local leaders.