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The funds have been channeled through 10,589 PDM Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs).
Each SACCO has received at least Shs 400 million over the four-year period. Beneficiaries can access loans of up to Shs1million at an interest rate of 6% per annum, repayable over three years, including a two-year grace period.
President Yoweri Museveni launched PDM on February 26, 2022 with the goal of transforming subsistence households into the money economy.
The progress and emerging priorities were discussed during a PDM inter-ministerial meeting chaired by the Minister of State for Microfinance, Hon. Shartsi Musherure Kuteesa, at the Ministry of Finance.
The meeting brought together ministers and technical officers responsible for implementing the 7 PDM pillars to assess implementation, strengthen coordination and identify reforms needed to improve sustainability, accountability and household impact.
According to the Ministry of Finance’s Financial Inclusion Pillar report, adults aged 31–59 years form the largest share of beneficiaries at 1,946,086 (54.50%), followed by youth aged 18–30 years at 1,086,998 (30.44%) and elderly persons aged above 60 years at 538,024 (15.07%).
Women account for the majority of beneficiaries, with 1,924,188 women (53.88%), compared to 1,646,920 men (46.12%).
The programme has also reached 41,423 persons with disabilities, representing 1.16% of beneficiaries. An additional Shs 500,000 grant per person with a disability was introduced in FY2025/26 to supplement PDM loan support.
The Financial Inclusion Pillar has recorded 222,389 enterprise groups, of which 183,430 have been profiled on the PDM Information System.
SACCO leadership elections have been completed in 9,907 SACCOs, while 4,375 election results have been submitted to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives for clearance.
Digital systems are being used to strengthen transparency, tracking and accountability. The Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) transfers funds to PDM SACCO accounts, while the PDM Information System registers eligible beneficiaries.
Wendi, managed by Pearl Bank, disburses loans directly to beneficiaries’ mobile phones, while Zaidi provides real-time tracking and verification. Government has recruited 14,133 Wendi agents and distributed 27,100 tablets for registration and monitoring.
Minister of State for National Guidance Alion Yorke Odria commended cooperation among ministries and proposed using Government agencies and Vision Group’s regional radio platforms to strengthen public sensitisation on loan repayment, programme updates and policy changes.
He reaffirmed the Ministry of ICT’s commitment to integrating PDM systems and ensuring that they remain responsive to programme needs and policy changes.
Minister of State for Animal Industry Hon. Bright Rwamirama said Government has registered 645 premises handling agricultural chemicals and seeds to reduce counterfeit inputs. He also said Government has procured and distributed 50.6 million Foot and Mouth Disease vaccine doses and established solar-powered cold-chain facilities in 53 districts.
As of June 2026, PDM beneficiaries had invested Shs 425.27 billion in poultry and Shs 461.12 billion in piggery and Shs 453.52 billion in coffee according to the Financial Inclusion Pillar report.
Minister of Local Government Hon. Barugahara Balaam called for stronger accountability and warned against extortion, illegal charges, favouritism, political interference, fraud and diversion of PDM funds.
He urged Local Government officials to take ownership of implementation and ensure that success is measured through increased production, savings, value addition, market access, enterprise growth and improved household incomes.
Minister of State for Gender and Culture Mary Kamuli Kuteesa emphasised the need to prepare beneficiaries before disbursement, strengthen training, involve political leaders in monitoring and improve follow-up after training.
PDM National Coordinator Dennis Galabuzi said the programme was moving towards a coordinated, whole-of-government approach organised around value chains covering inputs, production, storage, electricity, processing, value addition and markets.
He said the next phase would focus on translating these interventions into increased household incomes. He also called for a joint PDM Cabinet paper to address extortion, bribery, fraud, rural loan recovery, capitalisation and population equalisation.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Republic of Uganda.
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