President Yoweri Museveni has directed the National Coordinator of the Parish Development Model (PDM), Dennis Galabuzi Ssozi, to investigate alleged irregularities in the disbursement of PDM funds in Mukono District.
The directive followed complaints from residents that money meant for household income generation is being diverted. The residents were responding after the President said the government had already released PDM funds to parishes to support homestead-based wealth creation.
Sensing dissatisfaction, Museveni invited members of the public with evidence of mismanagement to speak out. Fred Mulika, a resident of Nakifuma, told the President that some local PDM leaders demand bribes from residents before including them on beneficiary lists, a practice he said has discouraged many households from embracing the programme.
In response, Museveni acknowledged that although PDM funds are reaching villages, they are being intercepted by individuals entrusted with managing them. He partly blamed residents for electing leaders who fail to properly monitor government programmes.
“You are the ones who elect your local leaders. Take more interest in the people you choose,” Museveni said while addressing a rally at Naggalama in Mukono. He added that the government would establish whether parish SACCO committees were legitimately elected.
Museveni tasked Galabuzi to establish whether the committees handling PDM funds were duly constituted and accountable to the communities they serve.
Beyond governance concerns, the President highlighted what he described as significant government investment in Mukono across key sectors. In education, he said the district has 220 government-aided primary schools alongside 962 private ones, and 25 public secondary schools compared to 270 private secondary institutions.
In health, Mukono hosts a general hospital and 17 Health Centre IIIs. Museveni said plans are underway to upgrade Kigogola and Kimenyedde Health Centre IIs to Health Centre IIIs, as well as improve infrastructure at Katosi and Namataba Health Centre IIIs.
On road infrastructure, the President said several roads are being improved under the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area-Urban Development Programme (GKMA-UDP), including maintenance works along the Kampala-Jinja Highway and Katosi Road.
He acknowledged the need for additional diversion routes to ease traffic congestion in Mukono and Kampala. Museveni also outlined progress in electricity and water expansion, citing the establishment of the Katosi Water Treatment Plant and mini solar-powered water projects in Kabembe, Kalagi, Nagojje, Banda, Mayangayanga, Misenyi, and Ntunda-Kyabazaala, with further expansion planned.
Mukono NRM Chairperson Hajji Haruna Ssemakula praised the President for upgrading Mukono General Hospital but appealed for additional infrastructure improvements to enhance service delivery. He also requested the establishment of a skilling hub in Mukono, noting that the Buganda Skilling Hub in Kayunga admits limited numbers, and urged the government to revive the stalled Akon City project in the district.
Mukono North MP Ronald Kibuule called on the government to diversify transport infrastructure by revitalising railway and water transport to ease pressure from heavy commercial trucks on the Kampala-Jinja Highway. He said Lake Victoria presents an untapped opportunity to connect districts through water transport if more vessels are acquired.
The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among praised Museveni for promoting industrialisation, saying it has created employment opportunities for young people. She also observed that Mukono had previously suffered weak government representation after the ruling party lost parliamentary seats to the opposition.
Among commended the President for authorising more than 1 billion Shillings in medical treatment support for MP Betty Nambooze, despite what she described as persistent political attacks against him in the media.
NRM Deputy Secretary General Rose Namayanja told residents that it would be difficult for the National Unity Platform (NUP) to win the presidency, arguing that political success is undermined when a party fails to field candidates across all parliamentary positions.
She said several opposition aspirants had withdrawn their candidatures in favour of NRM candidates, citing the ruling party’s numerical strength in Parliament and Cabinet as critical to influencing development outcomes.
As the political tone intensified, State Minister Haruna Kasolo introduced NRM flag bearers in Mukono, after which the President performed a symbolic handover of party flags. Museveni urged voters to support candidates he said would better represent government interests at all levels, from Parliament to local government, particularly in monitoring public funds.
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