By Naome Namusoke/KMA Updates – July 7, 2025
WAKISO, UGANDA — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has today officially resumed his nationwide Wealth Creation and Parish Development Model (PDM) monitoring tours, starting with Wakiso District.
The Head of State began his tour at Kagoma Metal Fabricators SACCO, where he interacted with local artisans and entrepreneurs benefiting from the Presidential Initiative on Wealth and Job Creation. He thereafter addressed a massive crowd gathered at the National Agricultural Research Centre in Kawanda, where Parish Development Model (PDM) beneficiaries and NRM supporters have been waiting to receive him.
In his address, President Museveni commended the local community for embracing government skilling and production programs. He has also emphasized that Uganda’s socio-economic transformation will depend heavily on active citizen participation in initiatives such as the PDM and wealth creation projects.
The President has also made a direct political appeal to the residents, urging them to vote only for NRM candidates in their localities, arguing that doing so would ensure seamless delivery of services and development programs.
“Support people who understand and will implement the NRM programs. That’s how you will benefit more from government interventions like PDM,” he said.
Launched in 2022, the Parish Development Model is the Ugandan government’s flagship initiative aimed at transforming subsistence households into the money economy. It operates at the grassroots, with each parish as the epicentre of implementation. The model is anchored on seven pillars, including production, financial inclusion, mindset change, and community data.
Despite its noble objectives, Uganda’s poverty rate remains at approximately 20.3%, with over 39% of the population still engaged in subsistence agriculture. The PDM seeks to reverse this by directly financing households through SACCOs with startup capital of UGX 100 million per parish annually.
President Museveni’s tour of Wakiso follows recent visits to Greater Masaka, Greater Mukono, Busoga, and Bunyoro, where he has persistently pushed for better oversight, faster disbursement of PDM funds, and strict accountability among local leaders.
Wakiso District—bordering the capital Kampala—is a vital area for the success of the PDM due to its blend of urban, peri-urban, and rural communities, making it a microcosm of Uganda’s socio-economic spectrum.
Today’s tour also marks Museveni’s first major public engagement since his unanimous nomination as National Chairperson of the NRM last week. With national elections approaching in 2026, observers see the PDM tours as not only developmental but also politically strategic in consolidating grassroots support for the ruling party.
President Museveni is expected to continue these monitoring tours across several more areas in the coming weeks as he doubles down on his administration’s pledge to “leave no Ugandan behind” in the journey toward middle-income status.