Parish chiefs to lead in setting agenda for community development planning
Government Chief Whip and Ruhinda Constituency Member of Parliament, Hon. Thomas Tayebwa has said, Parish Chiefs will take the lead role in designing the community development agenda under the Parish Development Model (PDM).
Previously, money would come to the district and be channelled to the sub-counties where officials would make decisions about projects in remote parishes; this is different with the parish model.
Tayebwa said, the central government expects that by giving power to local policy makers, it will shape rural economy by focusing on their competitive advantages. He said people will be making decisions themselves.
“People should know that the government has stopped giving free things. Like the Emyooga fund, where you borrow and pay back, people who will borrow money under PDM have to pay back to the community,” Tayebwa said.
Tayebwa added that just like the Emyooga fund, PDM fund is also a revolving fund that will help communities improve their household income and eradicate poverty.
Recently, about 30 legislators visited one of the model farms in Rwengaju sub-county Kabarole district belonging to Richard Nyakana, who has utilized one acre by putting up different enterprises, to learn from his success.
Tayebwa said, since this money will be controlled and revolving within the community, it should be given to people who are prepared with the already setup projects.
He said under this model, each parish will be given a minimum of Shs 100m starting the next financial year for five years.
“People have been complaining that we sit in Kampala and plan for them but this time you will be involved in planning. Our work now is giving you money and you plan for it,” he said.
He appealed to fellow members of parliament not to get involved in the implementation of PDM but rather do the supervision part and their involvement will be at the district level since they are ex-officials in their respective district councils.
The Member of Parliament representing Kashari North, Hon. Bazil Bataringaya said, for the PDM to be effective, in each parish there should be a model farmer/demonstration farm where others can copy from.
“As Members of Parliament, we have come from Kampala to see how Nyakana has managed to utilize one-acre piece of land by putting up different enterprises but someone from my constituency Kashari or other regions cannot manage to come here,” Hon. Bataringaya noted.
He said this will make it easy for farmers to learn from their fellows and practice it at their own farms.
Hon. Bataringaya also noted that government should also look at different enterprises for different regions or parishes where they can do well.
“Just like for Emyooga, the government should at least look at different parishes specializing in different enterprises which are within their reach. For example, one parish can deal in piggery, another one in poultry, another in cattle, like that,” he said.
He however noted that for farmers to access market, the government should ensure roads are worked on for farmers to benefit from this parish model.
“One of the pillars for this model is ensuring farmers get market for their produce and to achieve this, there should be good roads. The government may not necessarily construct tarmac roads but can do good murram roads,” he said.
Bataringaya pointed out Fort Portal-Kijura road that used to reach Nyakana’s farm, which he said is in a sorry state and yet it is used by many farmers in the area.
The Fort Portal-Kijura road connects to big tea factories in the region which Bataringaya said can make it easy for farmers to access market.
This 23Km road is an inter-district road which connects Fort Portal to Kyenjojo, Hoima and Ntoroko. The president has always talked about it while campaigning in the region but has never been worked on.
Richard Nyakana a model farmer who hosted the legislators pointed out poor road network as one of the biggest challenges hindering farmers from accessing market for their produce.
“For example, Rwengaju is the president’s model sub-county but the only main road we have is not worked on and yet most of us are farmers. How can we access the market? We have four big factories in the area but trailers have failed to pass because of bad roads,” he said.
Nyakana also appealed to the government to support farmers who already have something and give them machinery not looking at those who are starting.
Background
The 3rd National Development Plan (NDP3) has adapted the parish model as a strategy for rural social and economic transformation.
The PDM is a strategy for organizing and delivering public and private sector interventions for wealth creation and employment generation at the parish level as the lowest economic planning unit.
The parish will be the epicenter of multi-sectoral community development planning, implementation, supervision, monitoring and accountability.
The LC2 Chairperson and Parish Chief shall be responsible for political stewardship in the implementation of the parish model in their respective parishes with support from the sub-county and district technical planning committee.
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