Minister Santa Alum Ogwang Launches Probe into PDM, Emyooga, Cattle Restocking

By Okidi Patrick Ocamoyitdyel

KAMPALA – The Minister of State for Economic Monitoring, office of the president Hon Santa Alum Ogwang, who also doubles as the Oyam District Woman MP has launched a comprehensive oversight inspection of three major government wealth-creation and compensation programmes in Teso and Lango sub-regions.

Minister Santa Alum announced the exercise on Wednesday during a press briefing at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala. The inspection, to be conducted by the Office of the President through the Department of Socio-Economic Monitoring and Research, starts on September 7, 2026.

The exercise will scrutinise the Parish Development Model (PDM), the Presidential Initiative on Wealth and Job Creation (Emyooga) and the Cattle Restocking Programme following public complaints over beneficiary selection, fund access, loan recovery and accountability.

Hon Alum said the inspection team will cover Kapelebyong, Kalaki, Bukedea and Soroti City in Teso, and Apac, Otuke, Dokolo and Lira districts in Lango.

She said the three programmes are priority interventions under the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV) and the Tenfold Growth Strategy, which seeks to transition subsistence households into the money economy.

According to the minister, PDM focuses on bringing enterprise financing closer to households through parish structures, while Emyooga promotes savings and affordable credit among organised occupational groups.

The Cattle Restocking Programme is a critical rehabilitation effort aimed at restoring productive assets and livelihoods in communities affected by historical cattle losses.

For the 2025/26 Financial Year, government allocated Shs80 billion to implement the restocking programme across 33 districts in Teso, Lango and Acholi sub-regions.

Under the framework, each qualifying household is entitled to Shs5 million to procure three heifers and two bulls, with the total budget structured to cover 16,000 households.

Data released in June by the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr Alex Kakooza, indicates that 559 households had so far received Shs2.8 billion, while an additional 11,504 households had been selected for payment.

Ms Ogwang said findings from the inspection will inform corrective measures to ensure transparency, accountability and value for money in the implementation of wealth-creation programmes.