Open letter to President Museveni: PDM funds used to pay medical bills in Ankole

What the report says

The Observer published an open letter addressed to President Yoweri Museveni arguing that research from the Greater Ankole subregion shows a worrying trend: some Parish Development Model (PDM) beneficiaries are using the money to pay medical bills instead of investing it in farming, trade, or small household businesses. The writer says this undermines the program’s goal of helping households build income and strengthen local economies.

The letter says the problem is not limited to Ankole and reflects a broader challenge in Uganda, where families often face heavy out-of-pocket health costs and resort to fundraising when illness strikes. In that context, the author argues that development funds and salaries can be quickly absorbed by treatment expenses, reducing the economic benefits of empowerment programs.

To address this, the writer calls for a national medical insurance policy, ideally mandatory and covering both public workers and the wider population, with support for lower-income groups. The letter says such a system would help households keep PDM money for productive use, reduce pressure on communities, and improve health and productivity.

The article also notes the author’s appeal to regional examples, including Rwanda’s community-based health insurance model, as evidence that broader coverage is possible in East Africa. The piece is presented as an opinion letter rather than a formal policy announcement.