Uganda Bureau of Statistics [UBOS] in partnership with the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, carry out much sought-after baseline data collection to inform the government’s implementation of the parish development model [PDM].
Parish leaders, who are the main supervisors of PDM activities in their localities collecting the data, supported by local staff appointed by the respective local governments.
Uganda has 135 district local governments and 10 towns.
PML Daily spent a day with Ms. Gloria Animbabazi, Parish Chief of Kitagatta Parish, as she collected data from Nyakatoma Village in Bushenyi District.
During the data collection process, household members answered questions relating to the name of the head of household, marital status, nationality, religion, NIN, telephone number, relationship to household members, residential status of household members, age, date of birth, education, disability, work, economic activity.
Households also responded to a question about whether the government benefits from programs such as; Operation Wealth Creation, Youth Livelihood Programme, Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme, NAADS and Emyooga.
As part of the data collection process, the government also inquired whether household heads were registered with a SACCO or credit institution or had a mobile phone, television, radio, solar panel, motorcycle or vehicle.
In 2020, the government has committed to delivering radios to households.
Other questions asked of the household included internet use, insurance policy, household farming business, home store, bar or restaurant, source of drinking water, source of common energy for lighting, toilets, shoes and culture.
Meanwhile, the village chiefs [LCIs] answered questions related to the availability of services such as; Money lenders, mobile money agents, bank agents, commercial banks, SACCOs, cooperatives, village savings and loans associations.
The LCIs answered questions on agricultural products, livestock, general goods, tourism, type of roads.
Erias Bingana, the LC1 Nyakatoma, was specifically asked if his region had hospitals, health centers II, III and IV, clinics, a pharmacy and pharmacies.
To questions on education, Bingana asked whether its regions have a public primary school, a public secondary school, a commercial technical institution, education training and a university.
For agriculture, Animbabazi asked the leaders of the lower councils if they had activities such as; agro-industry, grain milling, leather tanning, milk coolers, rice threshing/husking/transportation, fruit processing, animal feed blends, tourist/cultural site and post office.
The leaders told Animbabazi that the source of water for agricultural production exists in their communities, as well as all the disasters that have occurred in their regions over the past 12 months and the form of violence that has occurred in their regions over the past 12 months.
Bushenyi District Local Government Planner and MDP Focal Point, Mr. Dickson Bamusiima, said the process had reached the final stages but said it was not meeting the targets, citing the limited time given by the government.
He said the ongoing data collection exercise was needed to improve understanding of the different and unique characteristics of households across the country and therefore provide the basis for the delivery of targeted interventions.
UBOS officials have been overseeing PDM baseline data collection for two weeks
in all 15 statistical sub-regions including Kigezi, Teso, Rwenzori, Ankole, Bunyoro, West Nile, Buganda North and Buganda South.
Other regions include Kampala, Busoga, Acholi, Lango, Bukedi, Elgon and Karamoja.
Ms. Monica Mpirirwe Rutahanda, a UBOS Senior Statistician who oversaw the PDM baseline data collection exercise in Ankole sub-region, said the exercise was crucial, noting that it was acts as the backbone of the parish development model.
Rutahanda urged data collectors to ensure data quality to inform good government planning.
According to the Uganda National Household Survey Report 2019/20, of the 3.5 million households in the subsistence economy, 62% were primarily engaged in subsistence agriculture, 24% in income generating activities , 12% were earning a salary/salary and two percent were not working at all.
The Acholi sub-region had the highest share of households in the subsistence economy (78%).
The largest share of households contributing to the subsistence economy were those practicing subsistence agriculture [45 percent].
Under the PDM, each parish is expected to receive Shs 100 million a year for five years for the groups to borrow and invest. In the financial year 2021/22, the government has provided Shs 200 billion, targeting each parish to receive Shs 17 million as a revolving fund for SACCO village members.
President Yoweri Museveni launched the PDM in February 2022, in Kibuku District where he said, “In the recently concluded elections, we promised you that the 2021-2066 term will be a ‘Kisanja’. [term] to create wealth, jobs and income for all Ugandans.
Museveni said then that he wants everyone to be engaged in economic activities in order to eradicate poverty and enable the country to achieve middle income status.
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