Kotido District - In a decisive move to strengthen grassroots governance and accelerate Uganda’s flagship poverty alleviation initiative, Kotido District held its annual review of the Parish Development Model (PDM)—a program central to transforming communities from subsistence to market economies.

The full-day meeting, held at the district headquarters, also marked a significant leadership transition with the induction of 19 newly appointed parish chiefs, charged with spearheading implementation efforts at the local level.

Opening the session, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Lochoro Daniel set the tone by underscoring that PDM is not charity, but structured development. The event brought together political, technical, and administrative stakeholders who echoed one message: effective delivery of the PDM requires shared responsibility, integrity, and community involvement.

Now in its third year of implementation, the Parish Development Model operates through seven pillars, including production, financial inclusion, infrastructure, mindset change, ICT, and governance—all designed to improve service delivery and lift citizens out of poverty.

District Commercial Officer Obita Francis led the technical overview, reiterating that funds disbursed under PDM must be treated with discipline.

“This is money for development, not personal income. If any of you have accessed PDM funds for private use, return it,” Obita cautioned.

He emphasized that all beneficiary profiling must be done using GPS technology to ensure data integrity, warning against informal practices such as “profiling under trees.”

The 19 newly inducted parish chiefs were reminded of their responsibilities, which include:

• Training Parish Development Committees (PDCs)

• Coordinating community vetting and payment processes

• Ensuring proper accountability for all PDM activities

• Supporting SACCOs and local enterprise groups

  “You are the link between policy and the people. Let’s open offices, put up signposts, and love our work,” Obita urged.

An important highlight was the establishment of Practical Training Centres (PTCs) linked to PDM SACCOs. These centres will:

• Prepare beneficiaries for enterprise development

• Conduct profitability analysis and provide hands-on training

• Offer mentorship and issue post-training certifications

With 76% implementation progress reported in Kotido, July marks the start of loan repayments by trained beneficiaries. SACCO leaders were warned against disbursing funds to untraceable individuals and advised to support sustainable group enterprises.

Tourist Officer Taban Magyezi conducted a session on the use and management of ICT tools—particularly tablets used for data collection and field operations. He stressed that misuse or poor handling could lead to data manipulation and fraud.

ICT Officer David Lokure reinforced protocols for digital security, reminding staff to safeguard devices and restrict unauthorized access.

The Human Resource team addressed concerns around absenteeism, poor communication, and appraisal filing, urging new staff to embrace professionalism and adapt to the demands of rural service.

“Stop complaining about long distances. Show resilience, or this job isn’t for you,” one official warned candidly.

In a hard-hitting address, Lt. David Aisu, the District Internal Security Officer (DISO), warned against corruption and favoritism, despite the district’s commendable 100% staffing across all 58 parishes.

“Some of you are still disbursing money from last year, and that threatens our credibility. Extortion and nepotism must stop,” he said.

He declared a zero-tolerance policy for embezzlement, stating that there would be no bail or bond for anyone caught misappropriating PDM funds. Chiefs were also instructed to declare all gifts received in the line of duty and uphold objectivity during beneficiary vetting.

Assistant RDC Lokwii Peter Abrahams described the meeting as a model for organizational discipline and reflection. He warned against politicizing service delivery.

“We will not tolerate discrimination. If we find you denying services based on political affiliation, we will arrest you,” he said firmly.

Lokwii also announced a plan to enroll Karachuna youth in the next financial year to drive peacebuilding and economic participation.

As the meeting concluded, clear directives were issued:

• Open and staff parish offices

• Promote saving and wise investment

• Treat tablets as professional tools

• Avoid alcohol, favoritism, and absenteeism

• Commit to digital literacy and peer learning

The tone was serious yet optimistic, highlighting a renewed push to ensure the Parish Development Model delivers on its promise: real transformation for every Ugandan, at the most local level.

“If we all do our part, PDM will not remain on paper. It will live in the hearts of the people it was meant to serve,” concluded one senior official.