Teso leaders disagree on NRM’s role in parish model
President Museveni launches the Parish Development Model in Kibuku District in February. PHOTO/FILE
What you need to know:
- Some say the party could politicise the project.
A section of leaders in Teso Sub-region have disagreed on the role of the NRM district executive committees in shaping the implementation of the Parish Development Model (PDM), saying it will sabotage the programme.
The involvement of the ruling NRM party has drawn protests from Opposition and Independent leaders.
During a Monday meeting in Soroti City between ministers from Teso Sub-region and legislators, Mr Silas Aogon, the Kumi Municipality MP, said NRM executives should be barred from implementing the programme to avoid a repeat of alleged politicisation of previous projects.
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Mr Aogon added that the project should be left in the hands of experts and technical people.
However, the State minister for Fisheries, Ms Hellen Adoa, who is also Serere Woman MP, said NRM cannot be side-lined because the success of the project is the regime’s legacy.
“The President wants feedback from the grassroots to the top because he is passionate about PDM,” Ms Adoa said.
However, Ms Anna Adeke Ebaju, the Soroti Woman MP, said since Resident District Commissioners represent the President’s interests and are answerable to him, it is unnecessary to include an NRM executive in the project.
But Mr Bosco Okiror, the Usuk County MP, who is also the chairperson for Teso Parliamentary Group, said NRM’s interest in the parish model is key.
Ms Stella Isodo, the Ngora Woman MP, said she fears that beneficiaries will be picked based on political leanings.
However, Mr Musa Ecweru, the state minister for Works, appealed to the Teso politicians to put aside their differences to enable the PDM to succeed.
He said Teso is the second poorest sub-region, and because of that, the leaders should work tirelessly to see that the project bears fruit.
“Let us help each other; if your constituency needs my help I can offer it. Let us embrace the project,” he said.
How communities will benefit
In outlining the government’s choices about its priorities in the next Financial Year’s budget, Finance Minister Matia Kasaija made known the fact that the Parish Development Model will be the centrepiece. The government is forecasted to splurge Shs1 trillion on the poverty alleviation programme intended to use a bottom-up approach to budgeting to improve Uganda’s monetary poverty level problems.
Each of Uganda’s 10,694 parishes (with a population size ranging from 450 to 30,000 people) will receive Shs100m. From this, each household is expected to get Shs1m to kick start the project that the said beneficiaries would have chosen to engage in.
Women and youth will each be entitled to 30 percent of the Shs100m at every parish level while men will settle for 20 percent, with the elderly and persons with disabilities getting 10 percent apiece.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja earlier urged lawmakers to cooperate with government officials deployed at sub-county level to ensure that the parish model becomes a resounding success.
