Zombo, Uganda: Authorities in Zombo District have intervened in a case of discrimination after a Parish Development Model (PDM) SACCO in Paidha Town Council blocked a woman living with HIV from accessing parish revolving funds, claiming she would “die soon.”
The incident was revealed by Zombo Assistant Resident District Commissioner Bruno Obomba Mananu during World AIDS Day commemorations held at Ajei Primary School Playground in Nyapea Sub-County, attended by hundreds of people living with HIV/AIDS and health stakeholders.
Mananu disclosed that the unnamed SACCO denied the beneficiary funds solely based on her HIV status, a move he described as gross stigma and a violation of human rights.
“A PDM group from Paidha Town Council denied funds to a woman living with HIV/AIDS, claiming she has been on treatment for long and might die soon,” Mananu said.
He added that after summoning the SACCO chairperson, the official admitted the action, prompting authorities to order the immediate reinstatement of the beneficiary, which was complied with.
Mananu warned that discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) within government programmes will not be tolerated, stressing the need for continuous sensitisation of SACCO leaders and parish committees.
The incident has reignited concerns over exclusion and abuse of power within PDM structures, especially against vulnerable groups meant to benefit from the poverty alleviation programme.
Collins Canudwoga, Chairperson of the Zombo Forum for People Living with HIV/AIDS, which represents more than 8,000 members, called for special safeguards and dedicated funding windows to protect HIV-positive beneficiaries from stigma.
“Without deliberate protection mechanisms, discrimination will persist and defeat the purpose of economic empowerment,” Canudwoga said.
Launched in 2022, the PDM targets lifting 39% of Ugandans from subsistence into the money economy through parish-level SACCOs. In Zombo District, over UGX 4 billion has been disbursed to more than 4,000 beneficiaries across 61 parishes, representing over 80% utilisation of the district’s UGX 6.1 billion allocation.
However, the programme has faced setbacks including mismanagement, beneficiary exclusion, extortion, and fund diversion. Zombo RDC Festus Ayikobua has repeatedly urged communities to report corruption, discrimination, and abuse by SACCO officials.
At the national level, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has directed tough action against officials implicated in PDM abuse, while government plans are underway to double PDM funding from UGX 100 million to UGX 200 million per parish, according to State Minister for Finance Henry Musasizi.
Authorities in Zombo have vowed stricter monitoring to ensure PDM funds reach all eligible beneficiaries without stigma, discrimination, or exploitation.
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