Museveni urges vigilance against rural crime, cautions on proper use of PDM funds

Buikwe, Uganda: President Museveni has called on Ugandans to strengthen community vigilance and hold each other accountable for the proper use of Parish Development Model (PDM) funds, warning that rural crime and mismanagement of government programs threaten national transformation.

Speaking at a public rally held at St. Cornelius Playground in Kalagala Village, Buikwe District, the President stressed that Uganda’s peace and stability must be guarded jealously by every citizen.

“This peace was not luck. In the 1980s, we built a formidable army to protect this nation. Today, that peace must be defended by all of us, through vigilance and unity,” Museveni told the crowd, concluding his tour of Greater Mukono under the PDM and wealth creation campaign.

He condemned the rise in livestock and crop thefts in rural areas, saying they undermine the very core of wealth creation, and called on every household to register police toll-free numbers.

“Disorganization emboldens criminals. We must close the gaps. The model used to crack the Masaka pang-wielding killings in 2021, coordination between police, canine units, and wananchi, must now be applied nationwide,” he said.

Museveni cited two contrasting examples: one in Masaka, where five people died after a woman delayed reporting to police, and another in Lukaya, where a nurse, Nakyambadde, survived an attack thanks to swift police intervention. He added that new measures, including a ban on police bonds for violent offenders, would now be enforced.

The President also clarified the nature of the PDM fund, reiterating that it is not free money but a revolving investment to lift communities out of poverty. “This is not a handout. It is your community bank. If you misuse it or fail to pay back, you are denying your neighbour a chance to escape poverty,” he cautioned.

He urged Ugandans to embrace his four-acre model for rural prosperity, allocating one acre to coffee, one to fruits, another to pasture for Friesian cows, and the last to food crops. He also promoted backyard ventures like poultry, piggery, and fish farming, which he said could yield up to UGX 80 million per year from four ponds.

Museveni slammed illegal land evictions as a “colonial hangover,” announcing that ground rent (busuulu) payments would now be channeled through sub-county offices to protect vulnerable tenants. “The landlords abusing our people’s ignorance by charging exorbitant busuulu must be stopped. We are ending this exploitation,” he said.

Responding to local requests, the President pledged UGX 30 million each to the Buikwe Youth and Women SACCOs.

On her part, Hon. Diana Mutasingwa, the Minister of State in the Office of the Vice President and Woman MP for Buikwe District, applauded the President for his continued commitment to transforming the lives of the people in Greater Mukono.

“I thank you, President Museveni, for touring Greater Mukono and for the tangible efforts you’ve made to uplift our people,” Hon. Mutasingwa said, highlighting key interventions that have directly benefited the district.

She also expressed deep gratitude to President Museveni for signing the Sugarcane Bill into law, explaining that it is a game changer for Buikwe and other sugarcane growing districts in the country. “Our farmers are grateful. This law has brought hope and dignity to the hardworking growers in our region,” she noted.

Hon. Mutasingwa also acknowledged several other critical government investments, including the allocation of Shs10bn for the construction of the Buikwe District Headquarters, Shs1.3 billion for an irrigation scheme, and the budgeting of the Lugazi–Kiyindi–Buikwe road, a vital transport link for the district.

However, the Minister also outlined key challenges still facing her constituents. She called for the President’s urgent attention to the plight of the fishing community, reminding him of his commitment to protect Lake Victoria for indigenous Ugandans.