The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, has emphasized that Parliament will continue to support the State House’s Presidential Skilling Program, which is primarily targeted at combating unemployment in Uganda.

“Madam State House Comptroller, I have heard that you require 10 billion shillings to establish common user facilities for our skilled youths; please submit the documentation to Parliament, and we will provide the funds. This (skilling) initiative deserves support since it provides solutions to unemployment. “Let us thank President Museveni for this wonderful program,” Rt. Hon. Tayebwa stated.

The Deputy Speaker, who is also a Member of Parliament for Ruhinda North County in Mitooma District, made the remarks today during a graduation ceremony at the Kigezi Presidential Zonal Industrial Hub in Kabale district.

A total of 462 trainees, 243 of whom were females from the first and second intakes, finished their vocational training and received certifications in seven (7) areas, including bakery and confectionery, welding and metal fabrications, and leather processing. Tailoring and design, hairdressing and cosmetics, construction practice, and carpentry and joinery.

Rt. Hon. Tayebwa commended Members of Parliament, particularly those on the budget committee, for allocating funds to Presidential hubs to guarantee that more young people receive hands-on training, adding the money had been effectively spent. He urged pupils to be disciplined when they ventured into the money industry.

“Now you see me as the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, yet a few years ago I was just like you—nobody. I once went on the streets to demonstrate, but I never lost focus. You, too, can succeed in life, and it is now your turn to improve the situation,” Rt. Hon. Tayebwa said the young people, cautioning them against unhealthy habits such as drunkenness.

“Alcoholism among young people is one of the most serious challenges we face today. When you obtain a small sum of money, instead of investing it to improve your income, you spend it on alcohol. “This is wrong,” Mr. Tayebwa insisted.

This facility is located in two villages (Rukaranga and Murambo) in Buranga Parish, Kamuganguzi Sub-County, Ndorwa West Constituency, Kabale District. It includes students from nine administrative units. There are six districts and three municipalities: Kabale, Kabale Municipality, Rubanda District, Rukiga District, Kisoro District, Kisoro Municipality, Rukungiri District, Rukungiri Municipality, and Kanungu District.

Hon. David Bahati, Minister of State for Trade in charge of Industry and Member of Parliament for Ndorwa West in Kabale, praised State House for carrying out H.E. the President’s goal of constructing Presidential skilling hubs that meet national standards.

“We allocated 120 billion shillings to create Presidential hubs in all regions of Uganda. I’m pleased that this was accomplished. We are quite impressed with what you’re doing. Equipping you with skills that can be used by our country to create jobs is at the heart of our program as the NRM government led by President Museveni to assure prosperity,” Hon. Bahati stated, adding that the skilling initiative is part of Uganda’s larger industrialization effort.

According to the State House Comptroller, Ms. Jane Barekye, all that President Museveni intended to achieve when he initiated the Industrial hubs has been achieved, including creating jobs among the youth, training job creators rather than job seekers, reducing criminality, and, most importantly, improving household incomes.

“The President is now planning to set up common user facilities with required machines in every district which hosts a skilling hub to give opportunity to our youths who have graduated to continue practising their skills,” she said.

She also urged the trainees to maintain discipline while they hunt for chances.

Kigezi Industrial Zonal Hub in Kabale district is one of 19 hubs built around the country with the goal of educating over 12,000 adolescents each year through the Presidential Initiative on Youth Skilling to bring them into the money economy. Districts such as Greater Mbarara, Greater Masaka, Kayunga, Kampala, Kyenjojo, Kasese, Ntoroko, Adjumani, Gulu, Lira, Mbale, Kibuku, and Jinja would also benefit.

The trainees took two sets of exams from the Directorate of Industrial Training under the Ministry of Education and Sports, the first of which contained a modular assessment and the second of which comprised level one.

The Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) awarded each learner a Uganda Vocational Qualifications Level One Certificate, which is equivalent to the Uganda Certificate of Education level and internationally recognized, according to Mr. Johnson Turyamwesimira, Principal Qualifications Officer, DIT.

“This certificate shows that you’re competent,” Mr Turyamwesimira stated.

Mr. Lion Mwebesa Emmanuel, Manager of the Kigezi Presidential Zonal Industrial Hub, praised the UPDF for the Mindset Training and Ideological Orientation, saying it did an excellent job teaching vocational skills, Kiswahili, life skills, physical fitness, and discipline.

“It has been a communal obligation for all personnel to ensure that all trainees develop in their discipline, and I am pleased that we have succeeded. We have not only trained these trainees, but also fostered them to become transformational leaders. Our heartfelt gratitude goes to H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for his wonderful wisdom in skilling the youth. I also want to thank him for keeping his commitment to develop industrial hubs in his manifesto for the past elections. “Our guest of honor, I’d like to inform you that this is the best way to bring our youth into the money economy,” Mr. Mwebesa stated.

He encouraged graduates to establish their own future now that they had the necessary skills.

“As a manager, I derive inner satisfaction from witnessing a transformed life in which I have participated.” I am proud of you. “This is the day the Lord has made,” he declared.

Hon. Catherine Ndamira Atwikiire, a woman Member of Parliament for Kabale District, praised President Museveni’s agenda for combating poverty in Uganda, particularly in Kabale, Kisoro, Rubanda, Rukia, Kanungu, and Rukungiri districts.

“I appreciate President Museveni for his efforts to promote peace and transformation while in office. I thank our children for deciding to enter the money economy by gaining employable vocational skills. As members of the budget committee, we have agreed to allocate funds to the State House to strengthen this initiative,” Hon. Ndamira stated.

Eng. Raymond Akankwatsa Kamugisha, Director of Industrial Hubs and Presidential Projects at State House, expressed gratitude to the program’s partners for their contributions to its success. These include the Ministry of Local Government, RDCs, Youth Chairpersons, people with disabilities, and the UPDF, which specializes in mentality transformation and ideology.

Earlier, Eng. Joseph Ssewava, National Youth Coordinator- State House, praised the people of Kigezi for voting H.E Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, stating that such initiatives would not exist without him.

“When President Museveni came to power, he ignited the peace candle, which is still burning in Uganda today. That is why we can send our children here to study for free for six months without interruption, and we are now here to celebrate their achievements. Eng. Ssewava explained that when President Museveni said he was protecting your future, he meant just this.

In April 2022, the government launched the Presidential Initiative for Zonal Industrial Hub in the Kigezi region, which aims to train youngsters in the districts of Rukungiri, Kabale, Kisoro, Kanungu, Rubanda, and Rukiga, as well as the three municipalities of Kabale, Kisoro, and Rukungiri.

Resident district commissioners, LCV chairpersons, security officials, district commercial officers, and district National Resistance Movement (NRM) chairpersons all attended the ceremony.