Use PDM Funds to Create Wealth, Not Buy Consumer Goods — Nekesa

BUSIA — National Resistance Movement (NRM) Treasurer, Hon. Ambassador Barbara Nekesa Oundo, has cautioned beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model (PDM) against diverting government funds to purchase smartphones and other non-essential consumer items, urging them instead to invest the money in productive enterprises that can improve household incomes.

Amb. Nekesa made the remarks over the weekend during a visit to Wasawa Farm in Mayombe Village, Busia District, where she interacted with farmers and inspected agricultural activities.

She said the PDM was specifically designed to support wealth creation at household level and warned that beneficiaries who spend the funds on consumer goods risk frustrating the objectives of one of the government's flagship poverty eradication programmes.

“PDM money is not for buying smartphones. It is meant to create wealth and fight poverty at the household level,” Nekesa said.

The NRM Treasurer emphasised that the funds should be invested in income-generating activities such as crop farming, livestock rearing, poultry keeping, trade and other small-scale enterprises capable of generating sustainable returns.

She noted that while the government has committed substantial resources towards lifting households out of subsistence living, the success of the programme ultimately depends on the decisions made by individual beneficiaries.

According to Nekesa, diverting PDM funds towards unnecessary expenditure undermines efforts to transform communities and may deny households an opportunity to establish sustainable sources of income.

She said beneficiaries should view the money as investment capital rather than ordinary cash for consumption.

Call for Greater Accountability 

Amb. Nekesa also called upon local leaders, parish chiefs and community monitoring structures to strengthen supervision of PDM beneficiaries and ensure that the funds are utilised for their intended purpose.

She expressed concern that in some areas, beneficiaries have reportedly spent the money on items that do not contribute to household income generation, affecting the expected impact of the programme.

“The purpose of this programme is to enable households to participate in the money economy. Every beneficiary must therefore make responsible decisions and invest in activities that can generate income,” she said.

Nekesa urged local leaders to provide guidance to beneficiaries, particularly those starting businesses or agricultural projects for the first time, saying proper planning and monitoring are essential to ensuring that investments succeed.

She encouraged beneficiaries to identify enterprises suited to their local environment and market opportunities rather than making investments without adequate planning.

Praise for Museveni

The NRM Treasurer thanked President Yoweri Museveni for initiating the Parish Development Model, describing the programme as a deliberate intervention aimed at tackling poverty from the grassroots.

She said the model provides an opportunity for ordinary Ugandans, particularly households that have traditionally remained outside the money economy, to access capital and engage in productive economic activities.

According to Nekesa, the PDM has the potential to transform communities if the funds are properly utilised and beneficiaries are supported to make viable investments.

She said the programme's long-term success should be measured not merely by the amount of money disbursed but by the number of households that are able to establish sustainable enterprises, increase production and improve their incomes.

“The real success of PDM will be seen when families use the money to create businesses and projects that continue generating income long after the initial capital has been invested,” she said.

Farmers Urged to Focus on Sustainable Investments

During her visit to Wasawa Farm, Nekesa interacted with farmers and inspected ongoing agricultural activities supported under the broader wealth creation and household transformation agenda.

She encouraged farmers and other beneficiaries to prioritise investments with the potential to generate consistent returns and create long-term economic benefits.

Agriculture, she said, remains one of the key sectors through which rural households can improve their incomes, particularly when farmers embrace commercial production, proper planning and market-oriented enterprises.

She urged beneficiaries involved in livestock and poultry keeping to manage their projects carefully and reinvest profits to enable gradual expansion.

Those engaged in small businesses, she added, should separate business capital from personal expenditure and ensure that profits are used strategically to grow their enterprises.

Nekesa said responsible utilisation of PDM funds could enable beneficiaries to move from small household enterprises to larger and more stable businesses over time.

Government Strengthens PDM Oversight

Her remarks come amid continued government efforts to strengthen accountability and monitoring under the Parish Development Model.

Officials accompanying the NRM Treasurer reiterated that the programme remains a major component of the government's strategy to fight poverty and promote household-level wealth creation.

They emphasised that strict adherence to the programme guidelines, effective monitoring and responsible use of funds will be critical in ensuring that the initiative delivers the intended results.

The officials also stressed the importance of community involvement in monitoring the programme, saying beneficiaries, leaders and technical officers must work together to identify challenges early and support projects that are struggling.

Amb. Nekesa's warning against the misuse of PDM funds reflects growing concern about the need to ensure that public resources allocated for household transformation translate into visible and sustainable economic progress.

As the government continues to roll out and strengthen the Parish Development Model across the country, beneficiaries are being urged to treat the funds as an opportunity to build businesses, increase agricultural production and create lasting sources of income.

For Nekesa, the message to beneficiaries was clear: PDM funds should be used to create wealth—not spent on smartphones and other short-term consumer goods.