LOW PWD PARTICIPATION THREATENS INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT AND VOICE IN ARUA DISTRICT’S PDM IMPLEMENTATION

 

By Onzoma Albert

Arua City

Arua District Production Officer and Parish Development Model (PDM) focal person, Dr. Willy Nguma, has expressed concern over the low participation of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the recent Parish Development Model (PDM) SACCO executive elections across four sub-counties of Ajia, Vurra, Logiri, and Arivu. He fears this apathy could impede the effective implementation of government reforms and PDM guidelines, which aim to expand SACCO memberships and enforce stricter rules on accessing the Parish Revolving Fund.

Nguma, stated that, low PWD involvement may hinder proper communication and execution of these new policies at their members at grassroots level.

“We expected the executive membership to be balanced and here the number of PDW’s on board is very low in the entire district, I was asking myself don’t we have PDW’s in Arua district and if they are there why don’t they participate in the elections, was it a fault that they were not aware, I am sure this will also go a long way with the selection of PDW’s in benefiting from the PDM because they will have no people to stand for them” he said.

The elections revealed significant underrepresentation of PWDs. For instance, in Arivu Sub-county, only two out of 34 PWD candidates were elected; Logiri had just one out of 41, while Ajia and Vurra Town Council had no PWD representatives at all. The recent leadership overhaul, mandated by the PDM Secretariat, led to the dissolution of previous SACCO boards due to governance challenges.

Nguma, further stated that, authorities are now reviewing election processes to prevent further exclusion of PWDs during the new structural implementation.

“Let me hope that the normal people will go a long way to represent the PDW’s and make sure their slots are well catered for in the implementation of PDM, We shall as local leaders to make sure that we use our external influences and powers to make sure that threshold number of PDW beneficiaries is good” he added.

One notable hurdle was the vetting process, which required candidates to undergo a strict “fit and proper” assessment to ensure good governance. Limited accessibility and rigid vetting procedures which disqualified many PWD candidates before the final voting, further marginalizing them. Additionally, the newly elected SACCO boards will serve fixed four-year terms, raising concerns that low PWD participation will weaken advocacy and representation for PWD interests, especially regarding the management of the Parish Revolving Fund.

Local authorities and PDW organizations have been conducting capacity-building retreats in the West Nile region to address leadership and inclusion gaps. However, the persistent underrepresentation of PWDs remains a significant concern for local leaders, as their continued exclusion could undermine the inclusive objectives of the PDM framework.