Kapchorwa councillors raise alarm over alleged PDM extortion, favouritism
KAPCHORWA, November 3, 2026 — Kapchorwa district councillors have raised concerns over alleged extortion, favouritism and poor accountability in the implementation of the Parish Development Model [PDM], warning that the challenges could undermine government efforts to reduce household poverty.
The concerns were raised on Thursday during the district budget conference at Noah’s Ark Hotel in Kapchorwa town, where councillors discussed a presentation by the district production and marketing department on the implementation of government livelihood programmes.
The councillors questioned whether PDM, the Youth Livelihoods Programme [YLP] and Emyooga programme are achieving their intended objectives, citing concerns over beneficiary selection, monitoring, financial accountability and repayment of funds.
Muzam Braghai, the District Councillor representing Kaserem Subcounty, called for stronger supervision of PDM implementation to ensure that government funds reach the intended beneficiaries.
With 58 PDM SACCOs, Kapchorwa district, excluding Kapchorwa Municipality, has so far received about Shs 23.2 billion for the general population/community, women, youth, older persons and persons with disabilities.
Braghai said greater transparency was needed in the management of programme resources and urged responsible authorities to strengthen monitoring and identify implementation gaps.
Ivan Sabila, the District Councillor representing Munarya Subcounty, raised concerns over alleged extortion and favouritism in the distribution of PDM funds.
Sabila said there were reports that some beneficiaries were allegedly being asked to pay money before accessing government financial support.
If established, such practices would undermine the programme’s objective of supporting vulnerable households to establish income-generating activities and improve their livelihoods.
The councillors also questioned the fairness of beneficiary selection, alleging that favouritism could be preventing deserving households from benefiting from the programme that gives Shs 1 million soft loan to each beneficiary to fund their enterprises such as coffee, piggery, poultry keeping, and fish farming among others.
They called for beneficiaries to be selected transparently and in accordance with established guidelines rather than through personal relationships or influence.
Repayment concerns
The councillors further raised concerns over the failure by some PDM beneficiaries to repay funds, warning that poor recovery could threaten the sustainability of the programme’s revolving fund.
Under the PDM framework, funds are channelled through Parish SACCOs to support eligible households to establish or expand income-generating enterprises.
The councillors said failure to repay the funds could limit the ability of other eligible households to access financial support.
They called for stronger supervision of Parish SACCOs, improved financial record-keeping and enforcement of accountability measures to ensure beneficiaries meet their repayment obligations.
Gilbert Chemonges, the District Councillor representing Chema Subcounty, questioned the effectiveness of government livelihood interventions, particularly the YLP and Emyooga programme.
Chemonges said young people continue to face unemployment, limited access to capital and inadequate opportunities to establish sustainable businesses.
He urged the government to focus not only on disbursing funds but also on monitoring how beneficiaries invest the money and whether the supported enterprises are generating sustainable incomes.
The councillor called for improved monitoring, business management training and technical support for youth projects to increase their chances of success.
Twarick Chekwoti, the District Councillor representing West Division, also raised concerns over the implementation of government development programmes and called for stronger accountability to ensure intended beneficiaries receive the support.
The councillors urged the district production department and other responsible authorities to address the implementation gaps and provide clear information on the performance of the various livelihood programmes.
Questions over PDM implementation
PDM is one of the government’s flagship poverty-reduction programmes, aimed at transitioning households from subsistence production into the money economy through enterprise development, financial inclusion and increased agricultural productivity.
The programme uses the parish as the basic planning and implementation unit, with parish SACCOs playing a central role in providing financial support to eligible households.
However, the concerns raised by the Kapchorwa councillors highlight questions over transparency, beneficiary identification, financial accountability and recovery of funds.
The allegations of extortion and favouritism, in particular, raise questions about whether PDM support is reaching the households most in need.
The councillors called for stronger community sensitisation so that residents understand the procedures for accessing PDM funds and the obligations attached to receiving the money.
They also called for investigations into any alleged irregularities and urged authorities to hold accountable anyone found to have mismanaged public resources.
Youth programmes under scrutiny
The YLP and Emyooga programmealso came under scrutiny, with councillors calling for closer monitoring of beneficiary groups and improved implementation.
They argued that young people require more than access to financial support, saying beneficiaries also need business management skills, financial literacy, technical guidance and continuous supervision.
The councillors said the success of government livelihood programmes should be assessed not only by the amount of money disbursed but also by the number of sustainable enterprises created, jobs generated and improvements in household incomes.
Call for action
The district budget conference provided a platform for leaders to identify development challenges and priorities for the forthcoming financial year.
The councillors urged the production department and other responsible officials to strengthen supervision, improve transparency and ensure that government livelihood programmes deliver tangible results at community level.
They said public resources should be judged not only by the amounts disbursed but also by the improvements they bring to beneficiaries’ livelihoods.
For residents represented by the councillors, the leaders said they expect the concerns raised to translate into fair access to government support, improved accountability and stronger economic opportunities.
The response from the district production department to the allegations of extortion, favouritism and poor repayment will be key to determining the corrective measures needed to strengthen implementation of PDM and other government livelihood programmes in Kapchorwa.
Buy your copy of theCooperator magazine from one of our countrywide vending points or an e-copy on emag.thecooperator.news
