The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) is to establish a Parish Development Model (PDM) ‘school’ in a bid to cause positive mindset change towards the implementation and success of the strategy.
This was revealed by the KCCA Executive Director, Dorothy Kisaka during the ministerial briefing on KCCA’s readiness on the implementation of PDM that was held at Hotel Africana on Monday.
At the ministerial briefing KCCA technical team presented a State of readiness for PDM in Kampala Capital City.
“At KCCA we have envisioned a PDM school for continuous training of our people in Kampala. We will use it to provide enough information to cause a mindset change and bring everyone on board for the success of this strategy,” Kisaka said.
She revealed that without prioritisation of community mobilisation and mindset change, the well thought out idea of PDM may not be attained.
Kisaka noted that PDM is key to the transformation of Kampala into a smart city since it is people centered.
“Under the Smart City initiative our biggest focus is people; the others are technology and infrastructure. To us PDM is an opportunity to advance the Smart City initiative which everyone needs to support,” Kisaka said.
PDM is a multi-sectoral strategy to create socio-economic transformation by moving 39% households out of the subsistence economy into the money economy.
“We continue spreading the gospel of development according to the gospel of PDM. We want everyone on board for the program to move smoothly,” Kisaka said.
KCCA views city dwellers as agents of economic growth and development, not a burden and thus encourages them to participate in the development of the city ‘
“There are 99 parishes in Kampala which will benefit from PDM. That is 99 opportunities for Kampala Smart City,” Kisaka said.
She says citizen involvement and participation in the development process will translate into country ownership.
On Tuesday, the Ministers will start the division visits starting with Central and Lubaga, then Nakawa and Makindye on Wednesday and Kawempe on Thursday.
The grand finale* will be at City Hall on Saturday July 2.
“Our aim is that all our city leaders are well briefed including all political and technical leaders,” Kisaka said.
Denis Galabuzi Ssozi, the National Coordinator for PDM welcomed the KCCA’s idea of having a school and continuous training of stakeholders about PDM.
He also called on Kampala people to be organised in off taking enterprises along the agricultural value chain.
Galabuzi said the PDM is targeting Ugandans along the agriculture value chain.
Those to benefit include those involved in roasting maize, selling chapati, fresh food, frying popcorn or in any related business along the agricultural value chain in Kampala
The state minister for Kampala City and Metropolitan Affairs, Kabuye Kyofatogabye asked city leaders to align their thinking to the realization of PDM.
“You are the people going to fail or make this program succeed. Educate people about this program and let it be a success. Our people have to be saved from poverty,” Kyofatogabye says.
During the event Anisa Nabisere, the KCCA PDM focal person gave a brief on the readiness of KCCA to successfully implement this change maker government strategy for social and economic transformation.
Nabisere said the city is on course to implement the program; a PDM secretariat is already in place, ward administrators were recruited and sensitizations are ongoing.
She also reported that enterprise registration is ongoing, data collection is ongoing and Sacco’s are being registered.
According to Nabisere at least 60% of the households have been with majority from slum areas and are mainly headed by women.
At least 97 Sacco’s have been registered, 1,200 enterprise groups, 42,000 beneficiaries registered.
The Nakawa Division Mayor Paul Mugambe urges that politicians should be equipped with enough information on PDM.
The ministerial briefing was attended by the mayors, RCCs, KCCA directors, Town Clerks, OWC officers, Parish Administrators, and community development officers among others.
