Uganda has launched several major wealth creation programmes, including Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), the Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga, the Agriculture Credit Facility (ACF), and various youth empowerment funds. These initiatives aim to lift millions out of poverty and transform subsistence livelihoods into sustainable enterprises. While trillions of shillings have been injected into local economies—expanding access to finance and inputs—the critical question remains: are these programmes truly translating into lasting wealth for ordinary Ugandans?
Under the Parish Development Model (PDM), by 30th June this year, Shs 3.3 trillion had been transferred to 10,589 parishes across the country to help households transition from subsistence to the money economy. Each parish receives Shs 100 million annually, and so far, 2.63 million beneficiaries have been reached. According to Finance Minister Matia Kasaija, 45% of the funds have been invested in cash and food crops such as maize, cassava, onions, bananas, and Irish potatoes; 36% in livestock including piggery, goats, beef and dairy cattle, and sheep; 12% in poultry; and 6% in other enterprises. These investments are reportedly boosting household incomes, enhancing food security, and creating employment opportunities nationwide. PDM operations have been fully digitised, using the National Identification Number (NIN), the PDM Information System (PDMIS), the WENDI application for fund transfers, and the ZAIDI application for monitoring. In the 2025/26 financial year, the government has allocated an additional Shs 1.059 trillion to further capitalise PDM, ensuring Shs 100 million per parish for households yet to benefit. Additional provisions include covering bank charges to ensure beneficiaries receive the full Shs 1 million, and a grant of Shs 500,000 for persons with disabilities to support their access needs.
The Agriculture Credit Facility (ACF), established in 2010, has received Shs 413.4 billion from the government. In partnership with financial institutions that match this contribution, the ACF has disbursed over Shs 1 trillion in low-interest loans by March 2025 to support agricultural productivity, commercial farming, and value addition. The facility has supported 14,336 beneficiaries, including 3,531 smallholder farmers. Loan allocations include Shs 431.4 billion for grain trading (43%), Shs 312.8 billion for on-farm activities (32%), Shs 166.8 billion for agro-processing (16%), and Shs 89 billion for post-harvest management (9%). For the 2025/26 financial year, an additional Shs 50 billion has been earmarked for ACF, alongside agricultural insurance coverage for all farmers, including PDM beneficiaries.
The Small Business Recovery Fund (SBRF) was created to help small businesses recover from the impact of Covid-19, with an initial capital of Shs 100 billion matched by commercial banks and financial institutions. This fund has supported 3,496 micro, small, and medium enterprises, helping to save over 26,672 jobs in trade, hospitality, education, and construction. To accelerate full monetisation of the economy, the government has allocated Shs 2.43 trillion for wealth creation in the 2025/26 financial year. These funds will be distributed through PDM (Shs 1.059 trillion), Emyooga (Shs 100 billion), Uganda Development Bank (Shs 1.0 trillion), Uganda Development Corporation (Shs 187.1 billion), and ACF (Shs 50 billion). Additional allocations include GROW (Shs 231.3 billion), INVITE (Shs 275.1 billion), Presidential Zonal Industrial Hubs and skilling initiatives (Shs 58.5 billion), and Microfinance support (Shs 48.5 billion).
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