KANUNGU, September 3, 2025 – Youth in Kanungu district have raised concerns over being sidelined in the implementation of the Parish Development Model [PDM], arguing that their 30 percent allocation of the Shs 100 million disbursed annually to each parish is not being honoured by those in charge of the programme.
During a recent meeting with the Kanungu District Resident Commissioner [RDC], Ambrose Mwesigye, at the Kanungu District Council Hall, the youth expressed frustration over the way the government’s flagship poverty alleviation programme is being run. They accused leaders of PDM SACCOs of denying them access to loans on the basis that most youth do not own households, as many still live with their parents.
The youth are now calling for an amendment to the PDM guidelines to ensure they can access their rightful share of the Parish Revolving Fund [PRF].
Kanungu District Youth Chairperson, Brain Tumwakire, said government programmes intended for youth empowerment in the district have consistently failed to reach the intended beneficiaries.
“Even the Parish Development Model, which was designed to benefit all Ugandans, has not reached us. We ask the RDC to fast-track a process that guarantees youth inclusivity in the programme,” Tumwakire said.
District Councillor Believe Niwagaba added that only married youth are recognised as household heads and thus eligible for funding, leaving unmarried youth excluded. He called for a review of the criteria to allow unmarried youth to benefit as independent individuals.
RDC Mwesigye acknowledged the concerns and pledged to forward them to the relevant authorities for further consideration.
He, however, urged the youth to also take advantage of other government programmes such as Emyooga and the Youth Livelihood Programme [YLP], and to explore small-scale enterprises like fish farming and beekeeping, which require less capital and land.
Deputy RDC, Ahimbisibwe Gad Rugaju, cautioned that poor loan recovery remains a serious challenge, especially among youth beneficiaries of government revolving funds, which threatens the sustainability of such initiatives.
In response, the youth maintained that, with proper empowerment and access to resources, they are fully capable of managing productive ventures that can improve their livelihoods and contribute meaningfully to the country’s development.
Under the PDM programme, each beneficiary is eligible to receive a soft loan of Shs 1 million from the PRF for investment in selected enterprises such as coffee, piggery, dairy farming, poultry, and the cultivation of bananas and fruits, among others. The loan, which carries a small interest rate, is repayable after a grace period of two years.
Initial beneficiaries of the Shs 1 trillion-per-year programme, which was launched in February 2022, are now being asked to repay their loans so that others can benefit in turn.
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