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Parish model opens cracks among leaders
Vice President Jessica Alupo with Local Government minister Raphael Magyezi (left) and Information minister Chris Baryomunsi after addressing journalists about the launch of PDM in Kampala on February 22, 2022. PHOTO/ ABUBAKER LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- Local government leaders and would-be beneficiaries say they want a policy in place to undergird implementation of the programme.
With just 48 hours to the launch of the Parish Development Model (PDM), a programme that President Museveni and bureaucrats bill as an antidote to poverty, local government leaders propose a raft of changes to make the initiative work.
In interviews with dozens of district and sub-county leaders, as well as would-be beneficiaries, officials told this newspaper that they want a policy in place to undergird implementation of PDM and district, sub-county, municipal, and town leaderships involved.
Our survey also found that hundreds of parishes are without chiefs who are supposed to be the technical guides and accounting officers, presenting a headache on how the programme will be implemented in some places.
According to some district chairpersons, themselves unhappy that they were excluded in handling the anti-poverty plan, there is limited to no capacity at parish level to initiate and document profitable enterprises.
In addition, the leaders said parish chiefs and chairpersons, many lowly educated, are unlikely to superintend disbursement and accountability for government funds while thousands of ordinary citizens hope to pocket cash, rather than receive items as prescribed under PDM.
The capacity gaps are manifest in some parishes, prompting registered beneficiary Harriet Bazanya, a member of Kamu Kamu Development Group in Buwenge Rural, Jinja District, to ask that the government translates information in PDM application form into local languages.
This, Ms Bazanya argued, is because many of the targeted beneficiaries are illiterate and that they have had to hire knowledgeable local government employees to fill each of the PDM forms crafted in English language at Shs5,000
“We, therefore, ask the government to translate the forms into our local languages so that we can save that money,’’ she said.
Under the parish model programme that President Museveni is expected to officially launch this Saturday at Kibuku Primary School in Kibuku District, the government has this financial ending June given each parish Shs17 million for residents to choose and implement an enterprise that can lift them out of poverty.
In the next financial year, starting July 1, the annual disbursement to each parish will be increased to Shs100m, but some rights activists argue that the formula prescribed by the government to share the cash between groups will make it hard for the fund releases to have tangible impact.
Under the programme, women and youth groups will each receive 30 percent of the disbursed finances, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and the elderly will snap up 10 percent each while the balance will be shared between men and other programme implementation costs.
The nationwide picture, based on our survey, showed a divided local government political structure where those at the top believe parishes have no capacity and their exclusion will likely hamstring PDM.
In Amolatar, for instance, the district chairperson, Mr Geoffrey Ocen, yesterday noted that there are some parishes that were gazzetted by the government, but had not been included among those eligible to receive Parish Development Model funds.
“In my case, we have 87 parishes, but the remittance is covering only 54 parishes; what do we do with the rest which are not included in PDM?” he wondered.
Mr Andrew Awany, the Kole District chairperson, said unless the government comes up with unique strategies to implement PDM, the new programme might collapse just like past poverty-reduction interventions that he said yielded limited dividends for beneficiaries.
He said: “Segmenting the Shs100m, with Shs30m going to the youth, Shs30m going to the women, Shs10m going to PWDs and Shs10m going to the rest will make the money appear little and [the money] may not even be remitted by the government in time.”
Queries on programme structure
Kwania District chairperson Alex Ogwal Adyebo said: “I am not comfortable with the composition of the PDM structure at parish level. Experience has shown that when politics is in most of these programmes, it collapses.”
Mr Michael Lakony, the Amuru District chairperson, said because the programme lacks the guiding principles to aid implementation and supervision, it could likely fail like the previous government programmes in the region.
“The problem is only one: it is a push programme, and we are not pulling it (not people’s interest) without engaging leadership and group people. When programmes are pushed to the grounds, chances that they will fail are high because of the concerns of receivership,” he said. He added that the programme does not spell the oversight roles district and sub-county structures will perform in ensuring that it succeeds.
Gender minister Betty Amongi recently explained that the parish development committee (PDC) to implement the PDM shall comprise seven categories of officials.
“The entry point to the PDM is the PDC, chaired by the Local Council II chairperson and it has seven members, with the secretary being the parish chief,” she said.
Ms Amongi explained that other members of the committee include the chairperson women council of the parish, chairperson youth council of the parish, chairperson, councillor representing PWD in the parish council, representative of either a community-based organisation, opinion leader or business community, and parish chairperson of the ruling NRM party.
She said under the PDM, the Cabinet ring-fenced 70 percent of the money for special interest groups, which includes 30 percent for youth, 30 percent for women and 10 percent for PWDs.
These allocations appear to have left a bitter taste for political juggernauts in key local government segments; district chairpersons, mayors, and sub-county chairpersons. For instance, in Kanungu, district chairperson Sam Kajojo spotlighted capacity constraints in parishes to manage such monies, adding that they have started tailored training to address the deficit.
“Without proper capacity building, it will be difficult for some parish chiefs that have never handled any government budget of, say Shs3m, to handle a Shs100m project in their areas of jurisdiction, he said.
In central region, Mr Patrick Kisekuulo , the Kyotera District chairperson, says the technical team and leaders have not yet been trained about the programme because no funds have been allocated for the activity.
On ground so far
The Kabale District Planner, Mr Boaz Kakuru, said the district has so far received Shs750m to kick start operation of PDM this financial year.
“The received money will be used to recruit parish chiefs, establish training of parish development committees, set up of the community information system and mobilise the masses at lower government level,” he said.
Mr Willy Bataringaya, the Bushenyi chief administrative officer, said they already started training the individuals responsible for implementation of the programme.
“We are yet to roll out to teach our people how they will benefit from this programme because we want to basically work on mindset change before people can start accessing the funds,” Mr Bataringaya said.
In Tororo, the chief administrative officer, Mr Dunstan Balaba, said the district has already recruited parish chiefs to bridge the gap that had existed, adding that with them in place, they have mobilised communities to form groups and are in the process of training them on enterprise selection.
“In other areas, we are going to use old groups, but these will still be trained on financial management to strengthen their capabilities,” he said.
In Arua City, Ms Sauda Amviko, a resident of Central Division, said she is worried that the funds may not be well spent because of lack of the alleged transparency in the government leadership.
In Moyo District, Mr Charles Madrama, a resident of Adua Village in Moyo Sub-county, decried the low mobilisation among the communities about the PDM scheme.
Analysts say excluding sub-counties or upper local governments in the programme and expecting them to build the capacity in parishes is problematic and offers no guarantee for the support.
Mr Charles Kisalu, the Isingo-Namwendwa parish chief in Namwendwa Town Council, Kamuli District, said residents expect to get cash under the parish model, yet they are supposed to receive items for approved projects they intend to undertake.
He, however, said beneficiaries have already been well-mapped out according to their location.
In Soroti, the grassroots beneficiaries have not yet received the much-needed training, save for the district production officers, district planner, district community development officer, and communication officer.
Mr Abraham Ekwaru, the communications officer, said the Shs17m for each parish has been allocated for the 54 parishes that constitute the district, but the guidelines on how to use the money has not yet been delivered. He added that once the guidelines are shared, the district will be empowered to train parish chiefs and LC II chairpersons.
What they say
Michael Lakony, Amuru District chairperson: “... it is a push programme, and we are not pulling it (not people’s interest) without engaging leadership and group people. When programmes are pushed to the grounds, chances that they will fail are high because of the concerns of receivership.”
Sam Kajojo: Kanungu District chairperson: “Without proper capacity building, it will be difficult for some parish chiefs that have never handled any government budget of, say Shs3m, to handle a Shs100m project in their areas of jurisdiction.»
Sauda Amviko, resident of Arua City: “People are eager for the money, but there is no clear information. And this is the problem with such political promises. The intention might be good, but executing it transparently will be a problem.”
Compiled by Philip Wafula, Bill Oketch, Abubaker Kirunda, Denis Edema, Felix Ainebyoona, Simon Peter Emwamu, Fred Wambede, Joseph Omollo, Mudangha Kolyangha, Al Mahdi Ssenkabirwa, Brian A Kesiime, Richard Kyanjo, Rajab Mukombozi, Milton Bandiho, Robert Muhereza, Emmanuel Arineitwe, Naume Biira, Alex Ashaba, Andrew Mugati, Obed Kankiriho, Felix Warom Okello, Scovin Iceta, Tausi Nakato & Tobbias Jolly Owiny
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