Kira needs a special consideration to benefit from PDM
Kira needs a special consideration to equitably benefit from PDM- Mutebi
Kira Municipal Mayor His Worship Julius Mutebi has expressed his dissatisfaction on the criteria upon which the government based to allocate funds under the Parish Development Modal Program. Mutebi expressed this at a function on which 450 million was released to 458 individuals from the six PDM SACCOs that make up the Municipality.
He is of the view that funds should have been given out in consideration of population not parishes ‘It is not fair to see that some local governments upcountry at the same level of Municipality are having more parishes and less populated than Kira but when it came to allocation of funds those areas got much more funds than Kira’ he said.
He talked of one Municipality in the Eastern region having a total population of around 60,000 people but with 11 parishes each got 100 million shillings yet for Kira with almost half a million people got only six hundred millions which he says is not fair if at all the target is about fair sharing for development.
‘Kireka ward alone with a population of 100,000 people is almost equivalent if not bigger than many districts upcountry. Giving it 100 millions basing on the fact that its a parish/ward the impact of the program will not be felt due to the very few people who will benefit as compared to the need’ he added.
The same matter was raised by the Wakiso District Chairperson Dr. Matia Lwanga Bwanika on 09th March on the function when the Municipality was launching the program and he requested the PDM secretariat to have a special consideration for the highly populated areas especially in the greater Kampala Metropolitan area if at all the program is to be of genuine impact.
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With 54 gazetted cells Kira Municipality is made up of six wards and three Divisions whereby each ward is made up of two wards and each ward in the PDM arrangement is having a SACCO at that level.
In the first phase which took place in March at the Launch of the of the program where 201 million shillings was disbursed to 201 individuals and this time around 450 was given out to 458 people making each of the SACCO at the ward level getting the 100 millions in total so far on the PDM SACCO accounts.
Mr. Paddy Kakumba, the Municipal Deputy Town Clerk said that what always fail people from benefiting from government programs if negative attitude and lack of patience. ‘Government programs are not like betting and or gambling where you get paid immediately after the game; it requires waiting and following the procedures and those who have done so have benefited and their livelihood has not remained the same’ said Kakumba.
He warned beneficiaries to avoid politicizing the program on ground that its a bonanza from government; ‘this if a revolving fund where the beneficiaries have to pay back at the end of the recoupment period so that even other community members can also benefit’
Mrs. Hanifah Kasule Nalukenge the PDM focal person urged beneficiaries to always use the Municipal technical office for all the guidance needed for their sustainability. ‘We have moved with you since program was introduced and prepared you accordingly and so do not say that you have got the money and so you do not need anything more from us. The Municipality has all the Officers required in all the pillars of the program and its upon you to decide who to go to according to the need you, all we desire is to hear success stories’ she added.
