Minister Balaam praises General Museveni for presidential industrial hub initiative

Honorable. Balaam Barugahara, Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs, praised President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s efforts to combat unemployment by training youth.

He stated that this approach has helped turn youth into job producers.

According to the minister, all government projects, including the presidential industrial centres, aim to help all Ugandans participate in the cash economy, which is part of the transformative mission of the National Resistance Movement (NRM).

“With the skills you have learned, you don’t need to start looking for a job. Use talents effectively to build your own businesses and make money. I encourage you to use the money provided by the Youth Livelihood program to create something for yourselves,” Hon. Balaam stated.

The minister made the statement during the graduation ceremony at the Mengo Zonal Presidential Industrial Center in Bugerere-Nazigo, Kayunga District, earlier this week.

A total of 462 students (second and third years) from 11 districts of the central region completed their vocational training and received certificates in seven (7) disciplines, including baking and confectionery, welding and metallurgy, leather processing (shoe making) , tailoring and design, hair and makeup, building and construction practice, and carpentry and joinery.

Honorable. Balaam promised to persuade his fellow cabinet members to set aside money to provide seed funding to skilled young people.

Hajjat ​​Minsa Kabanda, Minister of Kampala City and Metropolitan Affairs, expressed satisfaction with the training initiative, stating that it had provided employment opportunities to many youths. He claimed that hundreds of youth have received free training in Kampala alone.

The Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) awarded the qualified youth with a Uganda Vocational Qualifications Level One Certificate, which is comparable to the Uganda Education Certificate level, according to Ms Safinah Nakyobe, Deputy Director in Charge of Standards DIT qualification.

“This certificate will help you enter the workforce. Their sample products are excellent and ready for sale. Please don’t be complacent about your abilities. I also congratulate HE the President for the training programme, as many untrained Ugandans are struggling to make ends meet,” said Ms Nakyobe.

Eng. Raymond Kamugisha, Director of Presidential Projects and Industrial Centres, congratulated President Museveni for having the foresight to establish industrial training centers that are transforming ignorant youths into credentialed job creators.

“It has never happened in Uganda that someone who has never been to school can come here, learn a skill, graduate with vocational skills and be able to support themselves. What skills does a student have after finishing the sixth year? This is the only way to alter our country. Eng Kamugisha thanked HE the President for this initiative and added that the government will follow up with all qualified graduates to see how they are doing.

He urged MPs to support his intentions to expand the initiative, which includes the creation of common user facilities for talented teenagers to continue practicing their crafts while marketing their products.

“We propose to start with two common user installations. “We hope and pray for your support as we present our budget to Parliament,” he told MPs.

Honorable. Idah Erios Nantaba, Member of Parliament for Kayunga District, supported the request and promised her and other MPs’ help to ensure that the initiative continues to benefit many more people in society.

“We always set aside money to buy hospital equipment, including beds, which cost Sh5 million each, but I am told that a hospital bed made here costs only Sh1 million and is of high quality.” That is why we must support the initiative”, Hon. Nantaba said.

Captain Yunus Ntegeka of the UPDF Engineering Brigade informed the graduates that the force is implementing a directive from the Commander-in-Chief, who is also the President of the Republic of Uganda, General Museveni, to construct all government projects, and That Trained youth from the presidential centers will be their first priority in the implementation of the directive.

“We have projects in practically all districts and we use local content. We hire young people from the village and pay them adequately. So if we can hire people who are not trained, why can’t we start hiring our trained graduates, as long as they are disciplined?” Captain Ntekega asked.

He also encouraged youth trained in carpentry, construction, plumbing and metal fabrication to register with the Resident District Commissioners (RDC) as their database will be instrumental in providing employment in the UPDF initiatives.

The Mengo Zonal Industrial Center in Kayunga attracts youth from 11 districts including Butambala, Kayunga, Mukono, Wakiso, Buikwe, Nakasongola, Gomba, Mpigi and Luwero.

The students who graduated and found jobs thanked President Museveni for training them and allowing them to enter the monetary industry.

Among them was Mrs Nnanozi Siama, who learned to tailor.

“Before coming here, I had completed seventh grade but I had nothing to do and my life was a disaster. After six months of training, I can now make any garment you can imagine. I even made the dress I’m wearing. Nnanozi expressed his gratitude to President Museveni for allowing him to earn his own money, something he had never considered before.

Another graduate, Mr Jjumba Ashraf from Butambala, said he had completed sixth grade but could not find a job due to lack of skills.

“After 6 months of learning welding and fabrication, I am better off than someone who spent 16 years studying until the last year without learning anything. Jjumba added: “Thanks to President Yoweri Museveni, I can buy whatever I want.”

The occasion attracted several NRM and opposition officials, particularly the National Unity Platform, who praised President Museveni for his non-partisan commitment to preparing all Ugandans to participate in the monetary economy. Among them was the Mukono district president, Rev. Peter Bakaluba Mukasa, who rallied other leaders to support the idea.

Several dignitaries attended the occasion including staff of the House of Representatives, Members of Parliament, DRC, LC5 District Chairpersons, District Commercial Officers, Managing Directors and NRM District Chairpersons.