Oyam, Uganda: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called on Ugandans to take an active role in wealth creation, saying government programs such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) are designed to make every household a direct participant in the country’s economic transformation.
Speaking during a presidential campaign rally at Boma Grounds in Oyam District on Tuesday, Museveni stressed that economic progress cannot thrive if citizens remain passive beneficiaries of government initiatives.
“When it comes to wealth creation, we don’t want spectators,” the President said. “With football or athletics, you can have players and fans, but with wealth creation, everyone must be a player.”
Museveni emphasized that Uganda’s journey toward middle-income status depends on mass participation in production and trade, especially at the household level. He cited the PDM as a framework that empowers families to engage in commercial agriculture and other income-generating activities.
“The infrastructure is there, roads, schools, health centers, but these are only useful if people use them to create wealth,” he said. “If you don’t work for money, poverty will still be waiting for you.”
Under the PDM, funds are channeled directly to parishes through SACCOs to finance small-scale enterprises. Museveni announced that the government will increase funding to Shs 300 million per urban parish and Shs 150 million for rural parishes, with an additional Shs 15 million allocated for monitoring and coordination.
Oyam District has emerged as one of the best-performing districts in implementing the PDM, ranking first in Northern Uganda and fourth nationally, according to a joint assessment by the Ministry of Local Government and the Ministry of Finance.
District NRM Chairperson Bosco Onyik Ogwal reported that UGX 15.26 billion has been disbursed to 15,358 households, helping women and youth transition from subsistence to commercial livelihoods.
“Thousands of families who were previously in subsistence farming are now participating in the money economy,” Ogwal said. “Women have formed SACCOs, young people have begun enterprises, and lives are changing.”
Museveni added that the next phase of the PDM will prioritize fish farming and livestock restocking to boost productivity in Northern Uganda.
“You will earn more from fishponds than from rice in swamps,” he said, warning residents against wetland misuse.
He revealed plans to restock homesteads with five cows each, describing the initiative as a “democratic and transformative” step toward inclusive agricultural growth.
The President noted that peace and stability under the NRM government have allowed Uganda to build strong institutions supporting long-term growth. He said continued investments in infrastructure and local enterprise development would ensure all regions benefit from national progress.
“As we move towards middle-income status, no one should stand aside,” Museveni concluded. “The goal is to make sure every Ugandan household contributes to, and benefits from, national prosperity.”
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