Zombo, Uganda: The implementation of the Parish Development Model (PDM) in Zombo District is facing serious delays, with officials warning that backlog capture and poor loan recovery are undermining progress in transitioning households into the money economy.
A district implementation report presented by District Production Officer Dr Walter Kumakech indicates that unresolved Parish Revolving Fund (PRF) backlogs and weak compliance among parish chiefs and town agents are slowing the programme’s stabilisation phase.
Dr Kumakech attributed the setbacks to “reluctance of some parish chiefs to undertake PRF backlog capture,” adding that there is also “poor recovery of PRF owing to misinformation and poor mindset of some beneficiaries.”
The backlog stems from the first two PRF disbursements in the 2022/23 financial year, where UGX 3,399,280,000 was manually disbursed to 4,588 beneficiaries outside the PDMIS-FIS system.
As of February 2026, at least 1,197 beneficiaries remain uncaptured in the system, creating a bottleneck that must be cleared by April 30, 2026, in line with a directive from the Ministry of Finance warning of possible suspension of WENDI PDM SACCO accounts.
Addressing stakeholders, Dr Kumakech stressed the urgency of compliance, saying the backlog is “slowing our PDM progress in the district,” and directed parish chiefs and town agents to submit pending reports within two weeks.
“Our report for quarter III that has ended today, we must have them submitted not later than 15 of April,” he said, adding, “as per the directive issued.”
Zombo Resident District Commissioner Festus Ayikobua criticised officials who had failed to submit reports, warning that such conduct undermines the district’s credibility.
“This is the second quarter and you don’t have a report, some of your actions make us look like a fool when we go for a national event,” Ayikobua said. He added, “From here, Production Officer, I want the list of those chiefs who have failed to submit their report such that we follow them carefully.”
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Samson Nsamba also faulted local leaders for failing to track activities in their respective parishes. “Where you’re supposed to be in control of your parish, some of you don’t even have information, but I want each of you to take care of your role into every situation you have,” he said.
The report further reveals that loan recovery remains critically low, standing at less than 2 percent despite the expiry of the two-year grace period for beneficiaries supported in 2023 and 2024.
Dr Kumakech warned that this trend is undermining the revolving nature of the fund. “The two-year grace period for PRF beneficiaries supported in 2023 and 2024 has expired, yet recoveries stand at less than 2% across SACCOs,” he said.
Over the past five years, more than UGX 21.7 billion has been injected into 61 PDM SACCOs across the district, with each SACCO receiving approximately UGX 357,669,000.
By December 2025, the programme had reached 15,533 beneficiaries, representing 35.9 percent of the district’s 43,212 subsistence households, with youth and persons with disabilities still falling below national targets.
The report also highlights operational challenges including extortion and collusion in beneficiary selection, mismanagement of funds, staffing gaps due to promotions, and non-compliance with programme guidelines.
In some cases, SACCOs disbursed funds before conducting mandatory training, prompting warnings against “further breaches,” including specific concern raised over Pamach-Atyak PDM SACCO.
Dr Kumakech urged urgent reforms to restore momentum, including stricter monitoring, improved mindset among beneficiaries, and enhanced technical support. He emphasised that clearing the backlog and improving recovery rates remain critical to unlocking the full impact of the programme.
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