HOIMA CITY, September 8, 2026 — Hoima City residents who were yet to benefit from the Parish Development Model [PDM] have a reason to smile after the Government of Uganda released Shs 1.6 billion to be disbursed to them through their PDM SACCOs.
The PDM is a government initiative launched in February 2022 to move 3.5 million households in in the country from subsistence to the money economy. Under the programme, beneficiaries receive Shs 1mln each in the form of a soft loan to invest in selected enterprises such as piggery, poultry keeping, fruit growing and dairy farming, among others.
Swalleh Kajuma, the PDM Focal Person for Hoima City, said the city received Shs 1.6bln in June at the end of the 2025/26 financial year.
He said the money is intended to support farmers to manage their gardens during the second season of 2026, as well as beneficiaries involved in other enterprises such as poultry and piggery.
Kajuma said the funds were transferred to PDM SACCO accounts and will benefit 1,600 new beneficiaries from the city’s 16 wards. Each parish will receive Shs 50mln for disbursement to the targeted beneficiaries.
He added that new resolutions containing the names of three signatories for each PDM SACCO had been submitted to the Registrar of Cooperatives in Kampala, and approved.
He said the training of the signatories and beneficiaries had already been completed, with the remaining step being to update the new signatories in the system so that the funds can be disbursed.
“We have completed training the beneficiaries and the signatories. You know SACCOs elected new signatories who were approved, and they are only waiting to be updated in the system because the banks are not aware of them. For us, our role has been completed. The only remaining issue is feeding the new signatories into the system,” he said.
PDM loan recovery
On loan recovery, Kajuma said the city is facing challenges in verifying beneficiaries who have repaid their loans because of a system failure.
“People are paying back, but the system is not reflecting those who have paid. When you go onto the system, it only shows Shs 4.43mln, which was paid initially by Kyesiga and Kasingo PDM SACCOs,” he said.
Hajji Badru Mugabi, the Hoima City Resident Commissioner, said the city had benefited from the Government programme, which he said was changing the lives of low-income earners.
He said Hoima City, which has 16 parishes, had cumulatively received Shs 5.6bln, benefiting 4,905 households under the PDM.
Mugabi said beneficiaries who had utilised the money and invested in profitable projects were now earning income to support their families.
“At the inception of the programme, beneficiaries were complaining that they were not receiving the full Shs1 million because of the Shs 4,000 in bank charges. But with guidance from our President, we have harmonised with the banks, and beneficiaries now withdraw the full Shs 1mln,” he said.
https://thecooperator.news/over-4900-households-in-hoima-city-benefit-from-pdm/
Buy your copy of thecooperator magazine from one of our country-wide vending points or an e-copy on emag.thecooperator.news
