KITGUM, Uganda |105.0 HUNTER FM NEWS|— The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has donated 89 tablets to Kitgum district and municipality, aiming to improve the efficiency and digital integration of the country’s Parish Development Model (PDM).

The donation is part of a national initiative, in partnership with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, to provide technology—including tablets and solar panels—to parishes, districts, and key government officials involved in the PDM across Uganda. The goal is to ensure rural populations benefit from the nation’s digital transformation.

William Adrogu, a telecommunications engineer at the UCC, said the gadgets mark a key step in streamlining service delivery under the PDM, particularly in rural areas like Kitgum, where access to technology has been a persistent challenge.

Handing over the tablets at the Kitgum District Council Hall, Adrogu cautioned the beneficiaries that the devices remain the property of the Parish Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCOs) and are not for personal use.

“The gadgets come with internet for six months. Use it to research on your businesses so that you grow further,” Adrogu said.

Habib Abubaker, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for Kitgum district, welcomed the donation, noting that the lack of data from SACCO leaders had previously delayed report writing.

“With these, there will be timely flow of information and work will become easy for us,” Abubaker said.

Local PDM leaders expressed gratitude for the technology. George Okwera, the chairperson of the Pudo PDM SACCO, noted that before the tablets, they had to record everything manually or borrow smartphones, leading to reporting delays.

Alex Opira, the PDM focal Point Person in Kitgum, added that the digital implementation has already simplified the process, significantly shortening the time needed for profiling, appraisals, and fund disbursement.

The PDM, launched by President Yoweri Museveni, aims to transform Uganda’s rural economy by targeting interventions to lift households out of poverty and organize economic activity at the parish level. District records indicate Kitgum has received $21.67 million for the PDM over the past four years, benefiting more than 1,400 enterprise groups.