*“Stop buying smartphones using PDM funds” – Amb. Hon Nekesa* BUSIA — National Resistance Movement (NRM) Treasurer, Ambassador Hon. Barbara Nekesa has urged beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model (PDM) to use the funds strictly for productive investments and stop diverting the money to purchase smartphones and other non-essential items. Nekesa made the call over the weekend during a visit to Wasawa Farm in Mayombe village, Busia District. She emphasised that the poverty eradication funds are meant to lift households out of poverty through agriculture, small enterprises and other income-generating activities, not to finance consumer gadgets. “PDM money is not for buying smartphones. It is meant to create wealth and fight poverty at the household level,” Nekesa said. She warned that misusing the funds risks undermining the entire programme and denying genuine beneficiaries the chance to improve their livelihoods. The NRM Treasurer thanked President Yoweri Museveni for initiat...
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Museveni Aide Faruk Kirunda Joins Nation in Mourning Tooro’s King Oyo: “Though Young, He Was Mature as a Leader”
Kampala — Special Presidential Assistant on Press and Mobilisation and Deputy Press Secretary Faruk Kirunda has joined the people of Tooro Kingdom and the wider Ugandan public in mourning the untimely death of Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, the traditional ruler of Tooro who passed away on Thursday night at the age of. In a message posted on his official X account on Friday morning, Kirunda described the monarch’s death as a tragic loss and paid tribute to his leadership. “Joining the people of Tooro and all Ugandans in mourning the untimely demise of Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV. Though young, he has been mature as a leader. He has been very instrumental in uniting his people, promoting dev’t and wealth creation, and inspiring fellow youths to add value to their lives. Such a tragic loss! May his soul find eternal rest! FK,” Kirunda wrote. King Oyo died at approximately 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 27, 2026, while receiving medical treatment in the United ...
"Protect PDM funds, expose corruption"- NRM’s National Treasurer, Amb. Nekesa to Busia Leaders as she inspects Model Farmers
The National Resistance Movement National Treasurer Ambassador Barbara Nekesa Oundo has challenged Busia’s newly elected grassroots leaders and local natives to protect Parish Development Model (PDM) funds from corruption and ensure Government programmes translate into improved household incomes. Addressing local leaders during her grassroots engagement in Busia District on Saturday, Nekesa said citizens should use opportunities provided by Government under President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to develop their households, while leaders must expose individuals who misuse or divert resources intended for communities. Nekesa said PDM beneficiaries were already using the funds to invest in coffee farming, livestock rearing and other income-generating activities, creating opportunities for households to increase production and improve their livelihoods. “Our responsibility as leaders is to mobilise our people to embrace these opportunities and use them to improve their livelihoods,” Nekes...
Mbale Central Market Nets Just Shs3m in July as City Blames Vendor Leaders for Taking Over Control
Mbale City authorities have blamed the leadership of vendors at Mbale Central Market for the facility’s dismal revenue performance, revealing that the market generated only Shs3 million in July while comparable MATIP markets such as Gulu collected Shs100 million. In a statement, Senior Public Relations Officer Kutosi James Natsami said Mbale Central Market was among the first and largest markets developed under the Markets and Agricultural Trade Improvement Programme (MATIP), yet it remains the poorest performer in revenue generation. Natsami attributed the shortfall largely to vendors assuming administrative roles that belong to the city. “As I write this the keys to gates of the market are in the hands of the vendors not the market administrators appointed by the City,” he stated. He noted that the city facilitated the market’s vendor leadership for a benchmarking visit to Gulu Market in the hope that the exposure would improve operations in Mbale. That improvement has not mate...
Mbale City Public Relations Boss, Kutosi Fires Back: Vendors Holding the Keys — and the Cash — as Central Market Trails Far Behind
I appreciate the concerns of Mbale Central Market vendors regards revised rates and other concerns. To biginners Mbale Central Market was in the first phase of all MATIP markets in the Country and one of the biggest but in terms of revenue generation it is the lowest. One of the reasons for this poor revenue generation is because, market vendors have assumed the role of market administration which is the role of the City. As I write this the keys to gates of the market are in the hands of the vendors not the market administrators appointed by the City. Last month of July the council only realized 3million shillings in revenue from the whole market while other MATIP markets like Gulu market realized 100million. The Mbale Central Market vendors leadership were facilitated for benchmarking to Gulu market by the City. It was anticipated that after coming back , they would use that experience to improve performance of Mbale Central Market. When you compare what comes out of the m...
UHRC Launches Digital Case System to Speed Rights Complaints
Kampala Uganda: The Uganda Human Rights Commission on Wednesday morning launched the Human Rights Case Management System at the Uganda Media Centre, a new centralized digital platform designed to modernize how human rights complaints are handled nationwide. The UHRC Case Management System digitizes the entire complaint lifecycle. It enables the Commission to receive, assign, investigate and resolve cases on a single platform, creating a verifiable audit trail from registration to closure. Speaking at the launch, UHRC Chairperson Hon. Mariam Fauzat Wangadya said the system addresses a long-standing accountability gap. “Before now, a complaint could sit in a file for months without anyone able to tell you where it was in the process. This system gives us a clear trail from registration to closure, and that matters to the complainant waiting for answers and to us as an institution that has to account for its decisions,” Wangadya said. Key features include real-time case tracking, automate...
Journalists Accuse Colleagues of Sharing Siroko District NRm Chairman Lumolo’s Sh10m Donation Meant for Association
A journalist in the Mbale region has publicly accused a small group of colleagues of withdrawing and sharing among themselves Sh10 million that was donated by the Sironko District NRM Chairperson for the collective benefit of media practitioners. Proof of deposit:- The journalist, speaking out despite fears of backlash, said the funds were intended for an association account after a formal pledge. “Other people may fear to speak out, but I will not. I don’t care who gets annoyed, beats me, rejects me, or hates me,” the journalist stated. According to the account, Sironko District NRM Chairperson Lumolo Suliman invited a group of journalists to his home, where they shared a cup of tea. During the meeting, Lumolo pledged Sh10 million to help uplift their income. The journalists unanimously agreed the money should be deposited into an association account. A few months later, the chairperson released the funds and confirmed the transfer. The journalist expressed shock and irritation u...