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President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged Ugandans to embrace the Parish Development Model (PDM), emphasizing its significant potential to alleviate poverty and create more employment opportunities than government jobs can offer.

Speaking on Thursday, May 22, 2025, at a rally held at Wabinyonyi playground in Nakasongola Town Council, President Museveni concluded his three-day assessment tour of PDM and other wealth creation initiatives across Greater Luwero.

He noted that wealth creation at the grassroots, particularly through commercial agriculture and small enterprises, is the cornerstone of sustainable job creation in Uganda. He cautioned against over-reliance on government employment, highlighting that government jobs—including those in civil service, security forces, education, and healthcare—only total around 480,000 for a population of 46 million.

“Many people waste time chasing government jobs without realizing that most opportunities lie in the private sector. PDM beneficiaries are already employing others,” Museveni said.

He cited the example of Hon. Fred Byamukama, the Minister of State for Transport, who employs 26 people on his four-acre farm, and Richard Nyakana from Rwengaaju in Kabarole, who employs 15 people on just 1.2 acres of land.

“Uganda has 40 million acres of arable land. If we used just 7 million acres like Nyakana has, and each acre created 15 jobs, we would generate 105 million jobs—more than the country’s population. We’d even need to import workers,” he remarked.

Museveni added that Uganda’s factories are currently employing 1.2 million people—three times more than government jobs—underscoring the need to reorient youth towards commercial agriculture and the private sector.

He framed his message around six key pillars of socio-economic transformation: peace, security, development, wealth, health, and education, calling on citizens to prioritize these through patriotism and unity.

“Continue to support the NRM because we believe in unity for all Ugandans. That is a foundation for lasting peace,” he said.

The President stressed that while development through infrastructure and public services is vital, the real focus must be on increasing household incomes to combat poverty. “This road to Gulu has been tarmacked for 60 years, but people living along it are still poor. That’s why NRM focuses on wealth creation alongside development,” he explained.

He referenced past initiatives like Entandikwa, NAADS, Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), Emyooga, and now PDM, as part of NRM’s longstanding commitment to household economic empowerment since 1995.

President Museveni cited several successful individuals who have embraced these programs, including Joseph Ijara of Serere, earning over Shs1 billion annually from poultry and livestock on 2.5 acres, and Deziranta Tumusiime, a 64-year-old who grew her enterprise from a Shs1 million PDM loan.

He highlighted the long-term potential of PDM, stating that if properly managed, parish SACCOs could evolve into banks with assets worth Shs1.6 billion in just 10 years, reducing dependence on exploitative moneylenders.

Museveni emphasized that PDM SACCOs are open to all parish residents aged 18 and above and urged active participation in electing responsible leaders to curb favoritism and mismanagement.

In response to local appreciation for efforts to streamline fishing through the Fisheries Protection Unit, the President pledged to establish a dedicated fund for fishermen.

NRM Vice Chairperson for the Central Region, Hon. Godfrey Kiwanda Ssuubi, thanked President Museveni for his tour, describing it as a sign of his commitment to wealth creation in Greater Luwero.

Nakasongola County MP Hon. Mutebi Noah Wanzala and District Woman MP Zawedde Victorious called for a special land fund to compensate absentee landlords who continue to threaten tenants with eviction.

The event was attended by several ministers, Members of Parliament, and NRM leaders.