Rita Namuwenge, the National Coordinator for the Emyooga program and Parish Development Model (PDM) consultant for Eastern Uganda, has said that poverty is disempowering and urged communities to make proper use of government funds to transform their livelihoods.
Namuwenge made the remarks during a series of PDM monitoring meetings in Mbale Industrial City Division, where she also rallied support for her bid to become the Woman Member of Parliament for Mbale City.
While meeting with Parish Development Committee (PDC) members, SACCO leaders, Village Health Teams (VHTs), and religious figures in the Zabanyanya and Marale parishes, Namuwenge emphasized the importance of utilizing initiatives like the PDM to fight poverty.
“You can’t make decisions when you’re poor,” she told residents. “Let’s use these government funds properly. They can transform our households.”
Positioning herself as a results-oriented candidate ahead of the 2026 general elections, Namuwenge urged voters to scrutinize all aspirants. “As Mama Emyooga, did the people get the funds? As a PDM consultant, am I ensuring people get access to these funds? Then ask others what they’ve done in their roles,” she said.
She further called for a generational shift in leadership, arguing that Mbale City needs youthful and energetic representation. “The older generation has served in many roles, yet people continue to suffer. It’s time to step up and truly work for our people,” she added.
Several community leaders raised implementation concerns during the meetings. Moses Mwambu, LC1 chairman of Marale Cell, said the Shs250,000 allocated to PDCs for stationery, monitoring, and allowances was inadequate for a team of seven. He urged the president to consider increasing the amount.
The female area councillor, commonly known as Figure One, proposed the subdivision of parishes to ease population pressure on PDM resources. “The groups are many, but the Shs100 million allocated is too little. Many people haven’t received the money,” she said.
She also publicly endorsed Namuwenge, describing her as “the only candidate who listens and returns to follow up on community concerns,” and called on her to present the grievances to the President for possible reforms.
Namuwenge’s monitoring visits come as public interest in the effectiveness of poverty alleviation programs intensifies and political campaigns gain momentum ahead of the 2026 elections.
