Katakwi District has cumulatively disbursed approximately 33.8 billion shillings to over thirty-three thousand households across 109 Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCOs) under the Parish Development Model (PDM) programme.
Patrick Todi, the District Commercial Officer for Katakwi and coordinator for North Teso districts, covering Katakwi, Kapelebyong, Amuria, Serere, Kalaki, and Kaberamaido, said the district is currently disbursing 5.4 billion shillings received from the Ministry of Finance for PDM implementation, with each parish receiving 50 million shillings.
Under the revised PDM guidelines, beneficiaries will access loans of one million shillings at 6% interest after completing Practical Training Centres (PTCs).
The training is conducted by community-based facilitators working alongside extension workers, including agricultural and veterinary officers, who issue Parish Training Certificates to approved beneficiaries before funds are disbursed.
Todi said the programme has achieved wide coverage across the district, with some parishes already fully served. He noted that seven parishes have been fully covered, with additional funds allocated to Rwatama, Opinaya, Aminit, Kelim in Okore, as well as Olupe, Oedepus, Acanga, Olupe Town Board, and Akisim in Ngariam Sub-county.
He added that any excess funds within sub-counties will be transferred, with approval, to larger and more populated parishes such as Kapujan, Orimai, and Okokorio, in line with Ministry of Finance guidelines.
Todi also urged beneficiaries to begin repaying their loans, noting that the two- to three-year loan terms with grace periods that expired in 2023 require repayment to sustain the revolving fund. He emphasized that repayment would also allow beneficiaries to access additional financing in future cycles.
However, he expressed concern over the low recovery rate, noting that out of the approximately 33.8 billion shillings disbursed to 109 SACCOs, only about six 6 million shillings has so far been recovered from five individuals, according to dashboard records.
He warned that defaulters risk being excluded from other government programmes, such as livestock restocking, since the National Identification Number (NIN) is used to track beneficiaries across programmes.
He added that the district is exploring recovery mechanisms through the Wendi system, where beneficiaries use their phone numbers as accounts.
Todi further cautioned beneficiaries against expecting loan repayment waivers through livestock restocking programmes, noting that PDM funds are a revolving loan scheme, while livestock restocking is a government grant.
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