President Museveni has directed the Uganda Police Force to implement a new decentralized policing system aimed at enhancing rural security and boosting the effectiveness of the Parish Development Model (PDM) program.
Speaking on Tuesday during his PDM assessment tour in Greater Luwero, which includes the districts of Luwero, Nakaseke, and Nakasongola, the President called for the immediate deployment of 18 police officers per sub-county, each with a motorcycle and sniffer dogs.
The move is expected to improve rapid response to crime, especially in areas where security remains a challenge.
“This theft is a nuisance, and it must stop,” Museveni said. “The things to stop it are there, but they are not used. The police must mobilize and sensitize the people to handle the crime scenes.”
He criticized what he termed the non-implementation of his previous security guidance, urging a more structured presence where officers are accessible at all times.
He cited road surveillance cameras and faster response mechanisms as critical tools for combating rural crime.
The issue of insecurity was raised repeatedly during Museveni’s engagements with PDM beneficiaries, many of whom cited theft as a major barrier to income generation under the program.
While visiting farmers in Luwero District, including Hajjat Mariam Bayega in Sekamuli parish, Bamunanika sub-county, Museveni reiterated the centrality of the PDM to his government’s wealth creation agenda.
He offered Bayega Shs 12 million to acquire dairy cows, a four-wheel vehicle for transport, and a solar-powered water system for irrigation.
“I want her to begin irrigation, and we will see the benefits,” Museveni said, affirming government support for smallholder productivity.
Hajjat Bayega, who earns around Shs 37 million annually from coffee, cocoa, poultry, and milk sales, cited the removal of a police post in Ssekanyonyi as a key security concern affecting her operations.
President Museveni also visited Nakayenga Damalie, a poultry farmer in Wobulenzi, who started her enterprise with Shs 1 million from the PDM. Impressed by her progress, Museveni donated Shs 30 million to expand her poultry structures and operations.
As part of his engagements, the President offered additional financial support to other PDM beneficiaries, including Shs 1 million to 10 farmers in Sekamuli parish, Shs 5 million for mosque rehabilitation, and another Shs 5 million to the Anglican bishop of Luwero.
Since the program’s inception, a total of Shs 61.716 billion has been distributed to 240 PDM SACCOs across the three districts. Luwero received the highest share at Shs 25.972 billion, followed by Nakaseke with Shs 18.257 billion and Nakasongola with Shs 17.486 billion.
In response to environmental concerns from the public, Museveni also ordered the relocation of Kikoma roadside market in Wobulenzi Town Council from a wetland.
He pledged to purchase land for the new site and assigned NRM Deputy Secretary General Rose Namayanja to oversee the implementation.
According to the 2024 Uganda Bureau of Statistics census, Greater Luwero is home to over 1.09 million people residing in 1,428 villages and 241 parishes.
The President’s visit underscores the government’s push to integrate more Ugandans into the money economy through localized support and improved service delivery under the PDM framework.
