Old habits, ghosts haunt PDM scheme

The disbursement of Parish Development Model (PDM) funds has hit a snag in many districts due to corruption and the presence of ghost members in the enterprise groups. 

PDM, launched in Kibuku District last February,  is a poverty alleviation programme.

Last month, PDM funds to Nebbi District were not disbursed after officials discovered ghost names on the list, most of whom were politicians and civil servants.

“It is true that we halted the process of payment in order to clean the lists,” the PDM district Focal Point Person, Mr Walter Wabineno, said.

Mr Wabineno said most of the PDM beneficiary lists that had been sent to the bank by parish chiefs were dominated by councillors, civil servants, and the LC3 chairpersons, something he said contradicts the guidelines.

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One of the PDM beneficiaries, Mr Charles Kermu, said the delays to release the funds will have negative consequences.

“We only received messages on our phones showing that the money had been deposited but it cannot be withdrawn from the account,” said Mr Kermu.

He added: “The rains have started and some of us wanted to use the funds to start our enterprises.”

According to the programme, each of Uganda’s 10,694 parishes will receive Shs100m. 

From this, each household will get Shs1m to kick start the project chosen by the beneficiaries.

Out of Shs100m, women and youth are each entitled to 30 percent at every parish level while men get 20 percent and the remaining 20 percent is earmarked for the elderly and persons living with disabilities. 

HERE: PDM money stuck on Sacco accounts

In Kibuku, the Emyooga Coordination and Monitoring Unit arrested ghost beneficiaries, who had allegedly accessed the PDM fund from the groups yet they were not members.

Those arrested included a pastor only identified as Geofrey of Ebenezer Church, who reportedly got Shs5m from Kibuku Women Entrepreneur Sacco and also Shs4m from the Kibuku Carpenter Emyooga Sacco.

The Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Kibuku, Ms Eva Kwesiga said the district will carry out a crackdown on Emyooga fund ghost beneficiaries, saying the programme is for the poor.

The RDC of Budaka, Mr George Magunda said PDM will not deliver if corruption is not eliminated.

“We don’t want this programme to fail like…the Youth Livelihood Programme where the government injected over Shs1.1bn to the district but there was no impact,” he said.

The Chief Administrative Officer  (CAO) of Budaka, Mr Elly Piwang, said:  “We have received such reports in some parishes. Nobody should pay or ask  for money in order to access PDM funds,” he said.

Last month,  in Mbale City, the PDM secretariat said some officials had alledgedly diverted funds and forged accountability.

Among the accused were Dr Simon Maasa, the PDM focal point person, who is also the Mbale City production officer.

Dr Maasa was arrested on orders of Ms Jovrine Kaliisa Kyomukama, the PDM deputy national director last month. He was later forced to refund Shs8m he had embezzled. 

In late March, Dr Massa  refunded the money to the PDM  secretariat.

The Mayor Mbale City,  Mr Cassim Namugali,  said parish chiefs should desist from asking for bribes from beneficiaries if the programme is to succeed.

“The parish chiefs are the primary soul of the project. They should not be corrupt so that funds reach intended beneficiaries,” he said.

The Mbale RDC, Mr John Achilla Rex, said PDM is a revolving fund, not free money as perceived by some beneficiaries. 

The Gweri Sub-county chairperson, Mr Simon Peter Opolot, told the Daily Monitor  that last financial year, each Sacco in Soroti received Shs7m out of the promised Shs17m. He said the four parishes in the sub-county have each received Shs25m, instead of Shs100m.

“It seems from the look of things that the government is stuck, they don’t have money, and they are just afraid to tell the beneficiaries that they have failed on their promise,” he said.

In the neighbouring Arapai Sub-county, none of its four parishes has disbursed money to beneficiaries.

Mr Simon Peter Emetu, the chairperson for Arapai Sub-county, said the programme has failed at the commencement stage.

“This is the right time for the people to engage in farming, especially for those who have agricultural enterprises that need rain but have not got the money yet,”  Mr Emute said.

In Arua, Dr Gordon Victor Toa, the district production officer and PDM coordinator, said 422 households had already accessed the money while the rest were awaiting formalities such as opening bank accounts.

“We must disburse this money immediately because of the return of rains here so that farmers can implement their selected enterprises,” Dr Toa said.

In Bushenyi, Mr Robert Atuhairwe, the RDC, said all the 39 Saccos in the district have received their money.

“We are very optimistic that 6,600 households who are below poverty levels will be brought to the money economy,” he said.

Mr Gordon Tumuhimbise,  the PDM focal person in Bushenyi,  said delays were because some beneficiaries  did not know how to write and read.

 In Isingiro District Money is still stuck on the Sacco accounts and beneficiaries are yet to use the money.

“We are still waiting for the IT people to connect us to the system before we can allow beneficiaries to access the money,” Mr Vincent Matsiko, commercial officer of Isingiro District said. 

Mr Patrick Asiimwe the PDM focal person for Masindi Municipality said 350 groups were registered which formed 11 SACCOs from 11 wards in the Masindi Municipality.

“Each SACCO is expected to receive Shs 32 million making a total of Shs 359 million and we have already prepared the beneficiaries. We don’t expect issues of misuse of funds,”Mr Asiimwe said.

In Koboko District, the principal district commercial officer, Mr Ismail Ratib, said some beneficiaries are in the process of opening accounts so as to access the money in their accounts.                      

“We received Shs1.6b and have disbursed Shs137m to 232 individuals in 7 Parishes out of 49 Parishes,” he said.

In Kisoro, the district chairperson, Mr Abel Bizimana, said they have not registered any success stories as yet.

“The government has not yet allowed the PDM Sacco members to withdraw the money from the bank for their selected enterprises,” he said.

The Kabale District chairman, Mr Nelson Nshangabasheija, said: “I am also wondering why the funds are not yet released to Sacco members.”

Mr Jim Kato, the chairperson of Ntawo Ward in Mukono District, said everything is set but Saccos are not authorised to access the funds.

“People have started doubting our integrity in the community because we trained them saying money was available, but up to date, we have Shs32m on Sacco accounts, but they cannot access it,” Mr Kato said.

In Lwengo, at least 430 Saccos have already received funds after a thorough scrutiny of the beneficiaries.

The disbursement of funds was launched by the state minister for Local Government, Ms Victoria Rusoke Busingye, and other Lwengo District leaders last Tuesday.  

Ms Busingye said Lwengo is the second district in the 10 districts of Masaka sub-region to launch the disbursement of PDM cash.

“Lwengo is the first district to launch. 98 percent of the Saccos are ready with the right beneficiaries, -something other districts should emulate,” she said.

She noted that most of the districts have ghost beneficiaries, a reason the government has not approved the disbursement of PDM funds.

Mr George Ntulume ,  the chief administrative officer of Lwengo, said approved beneficiaries include 103 people with disabilities, 220 elderly persons, 269 youths, 940  women and 439 men.  A total of 1,012 households in Lwengo have been vetted.

But he said 43 of the  45 parishes got the funds.

“The two parishes of Malongo and Katovu sub-counties were not considered due to irregularities like impersonation, but after clearing everything the funds will be released,”  he said.

PDM beneficiaries in Masaka City are likely to be among the last to receive cash after the state Minister for Economic Monitoring,Ms Beatrice Akello, ordered the cancellation of all Saccos due to the presence of ghost beneficiaries.

Ms Akello said investigations showed that all the people listed in the 25 parishes that make up Masaka City are not in the target groups under PDM.

Ms Shilah Akello, Masaka City’s focal person of PDM, however, said they formed the groups under pressure in order to beat the deadline from the PDM National Secretariat.

“We were working under pressure to beat the deadline and that’s how some of the Saccos ended up with wrong beneficiaries,” she said.

Meanwhile, Masaka District registered 18 Saccos. But none has ever accessed the funds.

According to Mr Gerald Lubezi, a district councillor representing Bukakkata Sub-county, the official launch of the programme in the district is scheduled for April 3 (today).

On march 17, the minister for Energy, Ms Ruth Nankabirwa, launched the disbursement of Shs1.4b to Saccos in Masindi District. 

“The war government is on is to fight poverty at the household level, we can only achieve that if this PDM money is invested wisely  to accumulate profits in your business, “Ms Nankabirwa said at the event.  Beneficiaries speak out

Ms Jane Namugabwe, a resident of Mbale , said she got Shs1m and she will invest in agriculture.

“I’m going to hire land and also buy farm inputs so that I can get out of poverty.  I thank the government for the initiative,” she said.

In Kakumiro District, Mr Habert Muhwezi, the Chairperson for Isunga PDM Sacco, said his group received Shs41 million on March 23.

He adds that each member in the group received Shs1m but the bank deducted Shs50,000 for bank charges.

 ‘‘My group received the funds last week and people have started using the money. We first carried out enterprise verification, where each and every member had his form of business vetted before endorsing them to get the money,’’  Mr Muhwezi, said

 Mr Gerald Mukiza, a member of the Isunga PDM Sacco, said he used the money to buy six piglets. 

‘‘The PDM has started changing the village because many of us are into animal rearing. I expect to start making money after some months,’’ Mr Mukiza said.

Compiled by Fred Wambede, Felix Warom Okello, Patrick Okaba, Clement Aluma and Ronald Acema, Mudangha Kolyangha, Al Mahdi Ssenkabirwa , Wilson Kutamba , Diphas Kiguli & Richard Kyanjo, Alex Ashaba, Alex Tumuhimbise, Longino muhindo, Ismail Bategeka, Milton Bandiho, Julius Byamukama  Felix Ainebyoona, Micheal Woniala, Simon Peter Emwamu,  Robert Muhereza, Naume Biira and Emmanuel Arineitwe.