Government skills youth in Kigezi
The commissioned Zonal Industrial Hub for Kigezi Sub-region in Kamuganguzi Sub-county, Kabale District. PHOTO | ROBERT MUHEREZA
What you need to know:
- The Director of Industrial Hubs and Presidential Projects at State House, Mr Raymond Akankwasa Kamugisha, said the initiative is intended at skilling unprivileged members of the society, who may not have the opportunity to attain formal education.
Government has commissioned the presidential Initiative for Zonal Industrial Hub in Kigezi region aimed at skilling youth in Kabale, Kisoro, Kanungu, Rubanda, Rukiga, and Rukungiri districts.
The project, which is among the 21 industrial hubs stationed in the sub-regions across the country, is aimed at increasing household income.
The industrial hub was last Thursday commissioned by the State House comptroller, Ms Jane Barekye, during a meeting at the hub site in Kamuganguzi Sub-county, Kabale District, on Kabale-Katuna road.
The meeting was attended by resident district commissioners, district chairpersons, district internal security officers, district commercial officers and National Resistance Movement (NRM) chairpersons for the six districts. Other attendees included the municipal mayors and town clerks from the three municipalities of Kabale, Rukungiri, and Kisoro.
Ms Barekye said the initiative would equip the youth with carpentry, welding, shoe making, confectionery, tailoring and knitting, stone making, and hair dressing skills.
She said the industrial hub entails two module semesters per year, after which each learner will be awarded a certificate.
Ms Barekye, however, warned the district leaders not to politicise the project, since they are responsible for selection beneficiaries.
The Director of Industrial Hubs and Presidential Projects at State House, Mr Raymond Akankwasa Kamugisha, said the initiative is intended at skilling unprivileged members of the society, who may not have the opportunity to attain formal education.
Mr Akankwasa said the first batch of students will be enroled in June with about 300 students per semester.
He said others beneficiaries include Mbarara, Masaka, Kayunga, Kampala, Kyenjojo, Kasese, Ntoroko, Adjumani, Gulu, Lira, Mbale, Kibuku, and Jinja districts.
The Rubanda District chairperson, Mr Steven Kasyaba, appealed to leaders to stem corruption.
“I don’t expect the people in authority to call me to fix their relatives or friends in this industrial hub basing on corruption, I shall not support such enemies of development,” he said.
Mr Kasyaba also suggested the establishment of Irish cold room so that Irish is exported to Rwanda.
The Kabale District Chief Administrative Officer, Mr Edmond Ntimba, applauded the district stakeholders, who offered land for the industrial hub.
“I am grateful that the problem of unemployment resulting from lack of skills will be contained among the young people and I thank President Museveni and the NRM government for the deveolpment imparted to the disadvantaged Ugandans,” Mr Ntimba said
The Kabale Resident District Commissioner, Mr Godfrey Nyakahuma, said the project will support production by creating value-addition facilities.
“ Once the youth are skilled under the project, they will contribute a lot to the country’s economy and the tax base,” the RDC said.
In 2020 , President Museveni implored that government allocates Shs130b for the construction of 21 zonal industrial hubs across the country to enhance youth skilling and training.
