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KAMPALA - The Makerere University vice-chancellor Prof.  Barnabas Nawangwe, has urged fresh graduates to embrace the Parish Development Model (PDM) programme.

PDM is the last-mile strategy for service delivery by the Government to improve incomes and welfare of Ugandans.

It is an extension of the whole-of-Government approach to development as envisioned in National Development Plan III, with the Parish as the lowest administrative and operational hub/epi-centre (for planning, budgeting, reporting, and delivery of interventions) for bringing delivery services closer to the people and hence foster local economic development.  

Speaking during the ongoing 74th graduation ceremony on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, Nawangwe noted that it is the responsibility of Makerere University as the top institution of higher learning in the country to support this initiative. (All Photos by Mpalanyi SSentongo)

The Government is investing heavily in this initiative with the hope that it will pull people out of poverty.

Speaking during the ongoing 74th graduation ceremony on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, Nawangwe noted that it is the responsibility of Makerere University as the top institution of higher learning in the country to support this initiative.

“If this initiative fails, we will all have failed, and I encourage everybody to keep politics out of this initiative. We have more than 200,000 students in all universities in Uganda and only 60,800 parishes. Theoretically, there are three students for each parish. If we all, Government and universities think out of the box, we can go to every parish and make the difference that is so badly needed,” Nawangwe said.

Some of the graduands anxiously waiting to be awarded degrees on day three of the 74th Graduation ceremony of Makerere University on January 31, 2024.

While officiating at the Makerere University inaugural Convocation luncheon on Monday, Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo decried the lack of awareness in the community about the intentions of PDM.

The Chief Justice encouraged the fresh graduates to go to their communities and sensitise people about the potential of PDM to get them out of poverty if they invest the money provided by the Government wisely.

Goal of PDM

The goal of PDM is to increase household food security and incomes and improve the quality of life of Ugandans with specific focus on the total transformation of society (both on-farm and off-farm, rural and urban settings).

Graduates of Masters in Business Administration jubilate during the third session of Makerere University 74th graduation at the freedom square on Wednesday January 31, 2024.

The overall objective of the PDM is to increase the effectiveness of infrastructure and service delivery, including agricultural extension and social services, in order to accelerate the realization of the long-term goal of socio-economic transformation.

The immediate target is to move 39% of the households out of subsistence production into the money economy in the next five years.

PDM has been designed under seven pillars

1) production, storage, processing and marketing

2) infrastructure and economic services

3) Financial inclusion

4) social services

5) mindset changing

6) parish-based management information system

7) governance and administration.

The model is aimed at catapulting over 39% of the households in subsistence economy to the money economy and increasing household incomes and community well-being.

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akerere University Vice Chancellor Prof.Barnabas Nawangwe (R) confers a degree of Doctor of Philosophy upon Vincent Ssajjabbi during the 74th graduation ceremony of Makerere University at the Freedom Square on Wednesday, January 31, 2024.

Hajat Hawa Namugenyi Ndege (RDC Buikwe District) after graduating with Masters of Public Infrastructure Management on day-three of the 74th Graduation ceremony of Makerere University.