Africa-Press – Uganda. A trillion shillings has been disbursed to Parish Development Model (PDM) beneficiaries through Wendi, a digital wallet developed by PostBank Uganda, marking a significant milestone in Uganda’s push for financial inclusion at the grassroots.
“We received about sh500 billion in January this year. As we speak, 100% of that money has been disbursed to all the parish SACCO group accounts, and more than 90% has already reached the individual beneficiaries,” George William Kiyingi, the Head of Agent Banking and Fintech Distribution at PostBank, said.
“We got another sh500b at the beginning of June and all of that has been dispatched from the bank.”
According to Kiyingi, Wendi has transformed access to financial services in rural Uganda.
“Before Wendi, beneficiaries had to travel long distances—sometimes from Nakapiripirit to Moroto or from Pallisa to Mbale—just to open bank accounts. Now, all you need is a national ID and a phone, and you’re registered in minutes,” he explained.
“We’ve already onboarded over 1.3 million PDM beneficiaries since 2024, and that number keeps growing.”
Crucially, Wendi is fully integrated with the Parish Development Management Information System (PDMIS), the government’s centralized digital platform for managing PDM loan applications and approvals.
“Since February 2024, before any disbursement happens on Wendi, the system automatically checks with PDMIS to verify whether the loan has been approved. If it hasn’t been cleared in PDMIS, the payment fails,” Kiyingi said.
“This integration ensures transparency, accountability, and prevents disbursement errors.”
Wendi also ensures financial governance at the SACCO level. Each group account is controlled by three leaders—chairperson, secretary, and treasurer—and any transaction must be unanimously approved.
“If even one doesn’t approve, the transaction is rejected,” Kiyingi noted.
Beyond disbursement, Wendi supports savings and loan repayment.
“We offer up to 10% annual interest on savings made through Wendi,” Kiyingi said. We’re using this incentive to build a culture of saving in Uganda.”
Officials said PostBank also plans to offer follow-on loans via Wendi for beneficiaries who successfully repay their initial PDM loans.
“We want to move people from subsistence to sustainability. Wendi is more than a payment channel—it’s a tool for lasting empowerment.”
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