The Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Minsa Kabanda has said it is time to stop politicizing government programs as she called on Ugandans to embrace the Parish Development Model (PDM) strategy.
She said this during stakeholder engagement to assess the State of Readiness for the implementation of PDM in Kampala at an event organised by the Kampala Capital City Authority and was held at City Hall.
“Government will not tolerate anyone who intends to frustrate this program. This is our baby. We are going to do everything to ensure it is a success,” Kabanda said.
“Let us not shun government programs and let’s stop looking at them as programs that don’t work. We should work together to ensure the identified gaps are solved,” Kabanda said.
She said those who feel left out by PDM should embrace other government programs.
“This PDM money is not for boda boda, weddings, or school fees but for transforming low-income earners. Embrace this baby called PDM,” Kabanda said.
She asked City leaders to align all programs at KCCA to PDM to ensure all the programs start from the Parish.
“Continue this method of sensitising the public on radios, TVs and other avenues,” Kabanda said.
Kampala has 99 parishes and each parish is set to get sh117million this financial year.
She promised to follow up on the identified challenges facing PDM in Kampala and asked Councilors who always use their money to help the electorate to embrace PDM.
“You always use your money to support people, this time use government money to transform these communities,” Kabanda said.
Dorothy Kisaka the KCCA, Executive Director revealed that a ministerial tour of all the five divisions of Kampala to assess the State of Readiness for the implementation of PDM was successfully conducted between 28th to 30th June, 2022.
“We left this final day for the Lord Councilors’, to sensitise them on PDM, get their concerns and see how we can address them,” Kisaka said.
Kisaka revealed that KCCA is ready for the implementation of PDM.
“We have set up the Parish Development Committees, completed the enterprise identification, and SACCO formation. The momentum is great, and we are on course as required by the law,” Kisaka said.
A total of 99 Assistant Ward Administrators have been recruited, the seven-member committees, comprising representatives from different interest groups such as the youth, elderly, opinion leaders, politicians, the disabled, parish chief, and the parish chairperson to oversee the implementation of the project in the 99 parishes in the city.
“The structures are in place we have ensured that the people that are required to be there are in place. Our focus is now ensuring they are doing what they are supposed to do,” Kisaka said.
She revealed that the sensitisations have helped the leaders identify the bottlenecks and resolve them in a quickest way.
“We are mobilising everyone to get on truck so that we take off. This moving truck called PDM is just taking off, let’s all board it,” Kisaka said.
Kampala Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Amina Lukanga, said called challenged Ward assistants to serve the public with a patriotic heart.
Government of Uganda has initiated the PDM as a strategy for accelerating wealth creation, improving incomes and welfare of subsistence households at parish level as the lowest economic planning unit.