The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Director for Mobilisation, Cadre Identification, Recruitment, and Placement, Hon. Rosemary Nansubuga Seninde, has called on parents and youth in Kampala to express gratitude to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for his initiative aimed at equipping ghetto youth with practical skills. Speaking at the Mulago Skilling Centre on Monday, 3rd March, 2025, Seninde lauded the President for battling joblessness among youths and bringing peace to the country, which she said was the launching pad to economic growth. “Kampala residents should be prudent and vote for NRM and President Museveni in 2026. As an NRM mobiliser, I have come to remind you all that we ought to be thankful to President Museveni for up-skilling the young people of this nation,” Seninde declared.

She also mentioned the importance of the Presidential Initiative on Skilling the Girl/Boy Child (PISGBC), which has established skilling centers in Kampala’s five divisions. These centers provide youth with vocational education and prepare them with the relevant skills to improve their living standards as well as the economy. The Mulago Skilling Centre, one of the PISGBC project’s facilities, recently showcased students who have been skilling for six months. Seninde applauded the President for his vision, as she stated, “I thank President Museveni; he has been a gift to us. He gave us peace and freedom of choice, for which we should be very grateful.

He has also given us a solution to unemployment through skilling the youth.” The event also availed itself to political mobilization, with Seninde urging the crowd to elect NRM candidates in the forth-coming election. She called out in particular to Faridah Nambi, the NRM candidate for the Parliamentary constituency of Kawempe North, and asked young people to organize around the party. “I want you to collect at least 20 people and go and vote.”. This is a mock election for President Museveni in the Buganda region and will challenge your allegiance to him and the NRM party ahead of the 2026 elections,” she emphasized.

Dr. Faith Mirembe Katana, Special Presidential Assistant on Skilling and Education and Project Head of the PISGBC project, pointed out the importance of leveraging Uganda’s population as a market for products that are made locally. She called on the youth to come up with world-class products that can compete on the global market, rather than relying on imports. “Ugandans should tap the big population to use it as a big market for their products. They should also make world-class products that can compete on the global market and sell them to as far as China rather than importing Chinese products,” Dr. Katana added. She also acknowledged the support of President Museveni and Ms. Jane Barekye, State House Comptroller, in ensuring the skilling project was a success.

She, however, raised her concern over the local council (LC) officials certifying non-residents for the program, something she said was contrary to the project’s objective. “We have a challenge of LCs who certify non-residents at the expense of actual residents who live in those areas; this is not appropriate,” Dr. Katana cautioned. The Mulago Skilling Centre, which is the most populous among the nine centers under the PISGBC project, has 783 students who are registered to take exams in March. As many as 890 students were enrolled at the start of the six-month semester in August 2024. The center has given hope to many young people, transforming their lives and providing them an opportunity to make a better future.

Among those with success stories is 32-year-old Dan Muhire, a Mulago resident who is in the process of selling electronic and telephone repair. “Before skilling, I had sat for Senior Four but was jobless and despondent altogether. Since joining here, I can repair a phone and install a dish well. I can make a good sh30,000 from phone repairs easily,” he said. Patricia Sylvia, 19, and Prossy Nakuti, 20, are other two beneficiaries of the program. The duo, who were forced out of class by lack of money, have transformed their lives through the skilling program. They showcased a fridge constructed out of plywood that has a deep freezer compartment, which they worked on as a prototype within a period of two weeks.

We use unwanted material; it has copper cooling tubes and a heating compressor that compresses the gas and sends it to the filter dryer,” Nakuti said. Martha Atuhaire, who is 24 years old and an embroidery student, narrates how she endured in seeking vocational training after her degree in Industrial Fine Art from Makerere University. Daunting as the journey between Gayaza Nakwero and Mulago is, Atuhaire holds on to her craft. “We sew using machines to make African shirts, wedding garments, and wedding gowns of sh1 million worth, overhauling gowns of sh500,000 worth, and duvets worth between sh100,000 to sh500,000,” she explains. The Mulago Skilling Centre also showcased cutting-edge projects, such as a smart electric switch developed by the center’s guild president, Michael Bamwine. The switch can be operated by touch or via a phone app, showing technical competence and innovation on the part of the students.

Recycling and Value Addition trainer Ms. Norah Namanya highlighted the importance of turning waste into a productive product. She is known as the “Queen of Tyres” and trains students on how to turn discarded tyres into productive items such as wall clocks, interior decoration, and furniture. “The main objective of this skill is to manage inorganic waste, engage ghetto youth in jobs, and transform their attitude by eradicating the problem of damaging expensive roads when such tyres are burnt,” she said. The skilling program has not only provided youth with concrete skills but also with hope and a sense of direction. For others, it has been a lifeline, as it has offered them a second chance to begin again and contribute to their communities. As the program continues to grow, it is likely to be a primary driver of youth employment and economic development in Uganda.

President Museveni’s skilling initiative has brought about a remarkable transformation in the lives of Kampala’s youth. Through vocational training and innovative projects, young people are gaining the skills and confidence needed to succeed in a competitive world. As Hon. Seninde aptly put it, the initiative is a testament to the President’s commitment to peace, development, and the empowerment of Uganda’s youth. With additional investment and support, the skilling program can unlock a brighter future for hundreds of thousands of young Ugandans.