Government Orders Fresh PDM SACCO Elections

The Government has ordered fresh elections for all Parish Development Model Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations as part of a comprehensive clean-up of the programme.

Dennis Galabuzi Ssozi, the National Coordinator of the PDM Programme, issued a circular to all Chief Administrative Officers, Town Clerks, and Executive Directors of Kampala City Authority dated 17th March 2026 informing them of the PDM reforms and replacement of the SACCO boards, among other issues.

Galabuzi directed the officers to instruct commercial officers to convene special general meetings in every parish to elect an Independent vetting committee to apply the fit and proper test to all candidates aspiring to lead PDM SACCOs.

Galabuzi added that another special meeting should be convened to elect the PDM SACCO Board and Supervisory Board, with all elections to be concluded not later than 30th June 2026.

Upon assumption of office, the newly elected PDM SACCO Boards are required to regularize all outstanding statutory audits in fulfillment of their obligations under the Cooperative Societies Act. 

Local Governments are directed to support newly constituted PDM SACCOs in commissioning these audits without delay,” Galabuzi said

Robert Bariyo Barigye, the Registrar of Cooperative Societies at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, in an earlier circular to the PDM Secretariat, advised that to address the governance gaps within PDM, every person seeking election should be subjected to a vetting process.

Barigye said that the vetting committee should be supported by the LC 1 Chairperson, Parish Intelligence Officer, and Parish Chief.

He also proposed that the availability of funds should be subjected to statutory audits and the list of beneficiaries should be published for community scrutiny as part of the accountability as well as transparency in the programme.