The Auditor General, Edward Akol, has raised alarm over the slow recovery and weak accountability of Parish Development Model (PDM) funds, revealing that only Shs9.34 billion has been recovered from beneficiaries despite government releasing more than Shs3.26 trillion to the programme.
Presenting the December 2025 Annual Audit Report to Speaker of Parliament Anita Among on Thursday, Akol said voluntary recovery had started among just 18,105 beneficiaries in 709 Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs) across 30 local governments under the 2022 funding lot.
“I noted that of the beneficiaries who received PDM revolving funds by December 2022, a total of 18,105 beneficiaries in 709 SACCOs in 30 local governments had commenced voluntary recovery and a sum of Shs9.34 billion had been recovered,” Akol said, adding that most local governments lacked clear recovery plans.
The audit further shows that government has cumulatively released Shs3.26 trillion to 10,589 PDM SACCOs nationwide.
However, by the end of the 2024/2025 financial year, only Shs2.75 trillion, representing 84 percent, had reached households, leaving Shs508.65 billion undisbursed.
Akol cited widespread implementation challenges, including financing of non-existent or “ghost” projects, delayed disbursement to beneficiaries, funding of ineligible enterprises, diversion of funds and cases of duplicate recipients.
The Parish Development Model is a flagship government programme aimed at lifting households out of subsistence farming by providing low-interest revolving funds at parish level.
Reacting to the findings, Speaker Anita Among urged the Auditor General to intensify scrutiny of PDM funds to ensure they reach intended beneficiaries.
“As we appropriate money, we want it to reach the final user,” Among said. “The problem we have is diversion, where funds do not go to the intended beneficiaries.”
She warned against elite capture of the programme, saying Parliament would not tolerate a situation where wealthier citizens benefit at the expense of poor households the programme is meant to support.
Parliament is expected to debate the audit report and push for stronger oversight and enforcement measures to safeguard PDM funds.
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