PDM: SHACU to probe officials over ghost enterprise groups
Launched in February 2022, the Parish Development Model is a multi-sectoral approach designed to integrate every Ugandan, particularly those in rural areas, into the monetised economy
NEBBI, 6 August 2025 –– A team from the State House Anti-Corruption Unit [SHACU], led by Maj. Martha Asiimwe, has informed Nebbi district leaders of plans to launch a nationwide investigation into alleged ghost groups fraudulently benefiting from the Parish Development Model [ PDM ]. The PDM is a government initiative aimed at empowering the active poor to fight household poverty.
Asiimwe, who is currently in the West Nile Subregion conducting mobilisation engagements with district leaders on service delivery, revealed that intelligence reports have implicated some technocrats in creating non-existent PDM enterprise groups to siphon funds from the programme.
She urged District Resident Commissioners [RDCs] to take immediate action in investigating the existence of such ghost groups within their jurisdictions, stressing that the PDM must operate strictly according to its guidelines to yield the intended results.
“Avoid corruption. Do not form ghost PDM enterprise groups. Some officials are giving undue privilege to their relatives to benefit from the programme. Be informed that we shall come for you,” Asiimwe warned.
She noted that over Shs 3.3 trillion has so far been disbursed to parishes across the country, and the government expects tangible and visible impacts of the programme at community level. She cautioned that corruption among implementers threatens the effectiveness and success of the PDM.
Best Ayiorwoth, representing Ker Alur Kingdom, highlighted that many youths have lost hope in the PDM, citing an information gap that excludes them from fully participating, despite the programme allocating 30 percent of parish-level funds to young people.
“We have an information gap, and this has hindered youth participation in the [PDM] programme. There are also cases of corruption because there is no collective monitoring,” Ayiorwoth said.
Manuela Atimango, a local resident, raised concerns over irregularities in fund disbursement. She claimed some eligible beneficiaries are receiving less than Shs 1 million, while Parish Chiefs are allegedly deleting names of legitimate recipients and replacing them with their relatives and friends.
“The issue of Parish Chiefs extorting money from beneficiaries in order to access PDM funds is real. That is why a beneficiary who is supposed to receive Shs 1 million is given Shs 800,000. Shs 200,000 is taken as a kickback by the PDM SACCO officials,” Atimango alleged.
Launched in February 2022, the Parish Development Model is a multi-sectoral approach designed to integrate every Ugandan, particularly those in rural areas, into the monetised economy. It supports structured interventions in agriculture, enterprise development, financial inclusion, and infrastructure.
Beneficiaries use the funds, provided as soft loans, to implement income-generating projects such as coffee farming, piggery, fish farming, dairy farming, and poultry keeping, among others.
https://thecooperator.news/nebbi-farmers-decry-limited-support-from-field-extension-workers/
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