Minister Orders Fresh Registration for PDM in Serere District

The State Minister for Fisheries in Serere District has ordered a fresh selection of beneficiaries for the Parish Development Model (PDM) in two parishes due to concerns of double registration among locals.

During a community Baraza at Kocokodoro Primary School in Kateta Sub-county, Ms. Hellen Adoa, who also serves as the Woman MP for Serere, emphasized the commitment to transparent implementation. She stated, “On the day of the [PDM] launch in June 2023 at the Serere District headquarters, I promised that we shall be the role model in the implementation, and we are committed to it.” She further instructed a review of beneficiaries in the two affected parishes, Okodo and Kanyangan in Kateta Sub-county.

Whistleblowers had alerted the minister to the presence of more than 30 individuals from the same households being listed for PDM. To address these concerns, all parish chiefs from Kateta Sub-county were asked to read out the names of selected individuals during the meeting.

Ms. Adoa expressed her dismay at discovering that some households had more than three selected beneficiaries while leaving out more vulnerable individuals. She directed the district police commander to investigate the parish development committees in Okodo and Kanyangan.

One complainant, Mr. Stephen Oumo, raised issues about seven beneficiaries from Kateta Parish who received money during the June 2023 launch but did not reside in Kateta Parish. He urged honesty from the parish chiefs and the selection committee.

Ms. Joyce Mary Ongalo, the parish chief for Kateta Parish, defended herself, stating that she had not been appointed a parish chief at the time of the selection.

Mr. James Ebwaku, the commercial officer for Serere, highlighted irregularities in the two parishes and the slow payment of selected individuals, partly due to system and banking issues. He mentioned that the district currently holds more than Shs7 billion for PDM, which ideally should be in beneficiaries’ accounts by the end of September.

Mr. Stephen Ochola, the chairperson for Serere, affirmed their commitment to monitoring those who have received the money and ensuring its proper use.