How Uganda’s flagship development program is failing persons with disabilities in Luuka District

“When the Parish Development Model came to our village, I was hopeful it would uplift everyone especially people like me,” says Namuwooya Teresa, a farmer with a physical disability from Kyankuzi in Bulanga Town Council, Luuka District. “But up to now, I’ve never received a single coin.”

Namuwooya is among many persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Luuka district who say they’ve been left out of the government’s most ambitious rural development program—despite being part of the population it was meant to support.

The Parish Development Model (PDM), launched in 2022, is a government initiative aimed at transitioning Uganda’s subsistence households into the money economy. Implemented at the parish level the lowest administrative unit PDM is structured around agriculture, infrastructure, financial inclusion, service delivery, data systems, and local governance. Each parish receives funding to support individuals and groups, with a stated emphasis on women, youth, and vulnerable populations including Persons Living with Disabilities.

However, community members like Namuwooya say that the program has instead benefited only the able-bodied and well-connected. “The money is given to those who are able-bodied,” she says. “We, the disabled, are forgotten. It’s only our leaders who benefit.”

Some community coordinators agree that PWDs are being sidelined. While PWD groups are encouraged to apply for special grants under the PDM, many say their applications are never considered. Villages like Bulanga, Bulanga B, Bugoya, and Kyankuzi have repeatedly submitted proposals, but residents say their paperwork disappears before it reaches the district headquarters.

Babirye Joy , woman with disability chairperson in Bulanga village , believes the system is designed to push them out. she says the application process involves too much paperwork, which discourages participation. “Because of this, our names are often removed from the list and replaced with those of able-bodied people. It’s the able-bodied who benefit from the name of the disabled,” she says. Some leaders have been accused of forging beneficiary lists to secure funds for themselves or their allies, leaving actual intended beneficiaries uninformed and excluded.

A video of Namuwooya Teresa and Nabirye Joy explaining the struggles they go through to acquire Parish Development Model(PDM) Money

Community members also express frustration that they are only remembered during election seasons. “That’s when they bring cars to take us to polling stations,” Babirye says. “After that, it’s silence.”

The promises of inclusion and empowerment under the PDM are undermined by poor oversight and a lack of transparency. In Luuka District , some residents report that no public beneficiary lists are displayed, and that local parish development committees are dominated by elites with little representation from vulnerable groups. The policy guideline requiring a 10% allocation of PDM funds to vulnerable populations, including Persons Living with Disabilities, is largely ignored.

Eranda Moses, a Community-Based Facilitator in Bulanga Parish, emphasized the need for inclusive and transparent support for women living with disabilities (PWDs).

“If they are to implement programs that support women with disabilities, they should stop discrimination,” he says. “There should be accountability for the money being allocated to persons living with disabilities, and these services should be brought down to the village level where movement is more flexible for them.”

The disconnect between policy and practice has left many like Babirye and Namuwooya feeling invisible. They are not asking for charity only the fair chance they were promised under the Parish Development Model. Until their voices are heard and their needs genuinely addressed, the goals of inclusive development will remain out of reach.

Background

Luuka District is located in the eastern region of Uganda. It was carved out of Iganga District and became operational as an independent district in July 2010. The district is part of the Busoga sub-region, and its administrative headquarters is in Luuka Town Council.

Luuka is predominantly rural, with the majority of residents engaged in subsistence agriculture, growing crops like maize, cassava, sweet potatoes, and sugarcane (a major cash crop in the area). The district also has challenges common to rural areas in Uganda, such as limited access to quality education, healthcare, and clean water.

As of recent estimates, Luuka District in eastern Uganda has a disability prevalence rate of approximately 11.7% among individuals aged 5 years and older. Given the district’s estimated population of 238,000, this translates to around 27,846 residents living with some form of disability.