An Open Letter to His Excellency, President Museveni: Refining the path to grassroots wealth creation

COMMENT | Gertrude Kamya Othieno | I extend my heartfelt congratulations on the positive outcomes reported from your recent Parish Development Model (PDM) tour in Bukedi. Your commitment to wealth creation and socio-economic transformation is commendable. This letter is part of a series of open letters I have written to you recently regarding wealth creation and I hope you have received them as they are shared in good faith and a spirit of support.

Your commitment to wealth creation as the core of transformation is clear, and the PDM is an ambitious step toward empowering Uganda’s communities. However, from a practical standpoint, I have a few reflections that could help deepen the model’s impact.

One central concern is the approach to performance monitoring. As impactful as it is for you to tour these areas personally, relying on local leaders and selected visits may create a risk of biased reporting. Naturally, local leaders are motivated to present positive results, but there is a real possibility of exaggerated or ‘managed’ outcomes, which may not fully reflect the experiences of the end beneficiaries.

The PDM’s objective is fundamentally grassroots: it aims to uplift the ordinary citizens at the very bottom of the socio-economic ladder. However, while implemented at the parish level, the program still largely relies on the leadership of local authorities, leaders who, while essential, may not always represent the needs and experiences of the most vulnerable individuals. This reliance on a top-down approach could dilute the true grassroots transformation the PDM seeks to achieve.

As a suggestion, incorporating independent feedback mechanisms could provide a more rounded picture of PDM’s impact. For instance, creating feedback channels that allow direct input from ordinary citizens can reveal insights that might be missed otherwise. This would also promote a sense of ownership among the people and make them feel more connected to PDM’s objectives.

My organisation conducted a capacity-building pilot last year in Kampala, and our findings were enlightening. We discovered that a top-down approach, while effective in some areas, often left the intended beneficiaries feeling distanced from the program’s goals. Only when we shifted to a more inclusive, bottom-up approach did we start seeing genuine engagement and sustainable outcomes. In our case, working directly with small groups to ensure their voices were heard allowed us to identify specific needs and align resources more effectively.

Empowering people directly could be a cornerstone of PDM’s success. With grassroots monitoring, there’s also a chance to build communities’ capacity to manage projects and funds locally, strengthening both accountability and skills within these communities. In a country as rich in local knowledge as Uganda, equipping communities to monitor their own progress and provide feedback can foster the very transformation we seek.

I commend you for emphasising the use of Uganda’s natural resources in innovative ways, like utilising wetlands for fish farming. These efforts not only promise wealth creation but also sustainable environmental practices. In Bukedi, where wetlands and arable land are abundant, a combined focus on agricultural productivity and conservation can indeed make a remarkable difference.

I hope these reflections can support PDM’s objectives. With Uganda’s potential and PDM’s framework, we can create a sustainable pathway to prosperity, one where every Ugandan feels a genuine part of the journey.

Thank you for your continued dedication to Uganda’s transformation.

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Gertrude Kamya Othieno | Political Sociologist in Social Development (Alumna – London School of Economics/Political Science) | Email – gkothieno@gmail.com