NRM Treasurer Nekesa Warns PDM Officials Against Extorting Beneficiaries

What the report says

Nile Post reports that National Resistance Movement National Treasurer Barbara Nekesa has cautioned officials involved in the Parish Development Model against asking beneficiaries for money, saying such conduct weakens the programme and harms the government’s reputation. She delivered the warning during an inspection of PDM-supported farmers in Busia District, where recipients have invested the funds in projects including coffee growing and fish ponds.

The report says farmers in Busia are seeing some gains from the programme, but they continue to face serious challenges from prolonged drought and limited access to inputs. One beneficiary, Obano John Kubebea of Matofu Village in Mbehenyi Parish, said he used the support to establish a large coffee plantation and that each harvest brings him about Shs3 million. He said coffee farming is spreading in the district and improving livelihoods.

According to the article, Busia District Production Officer Patrick Baraza said the district has received about Shs19 billion under PDM. He noted that some money was initially misused, though he said about 85 percent is now going to intended projects. Samia Bugwe Central MP Richard Wanyama praised the programme, while Nekesa urged stronger irrigation systems so farmers can cope with dry spells and sustain production. The broader context is that PDM is a government poverty-reduction initiative aimed at helping households move into income-generating work.