The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa has reiterated that Parliament will continue to support the State House further the Presidential Skilling Program which is mainly aimed at fighting unemployment in Uganda.
“Madam State House Comptroller, I have heard that you need 10 billion shillings to set up common user facilities for our skilled youths, please bring the documents to Parliament and we will give you the money. This (skilling) program should be supported because it is proving solutions to unemployment. Let us thank President Museveni for this wonderful program,” Rt. Hon. Tayebwa said.
The Deputy Speaker who is also the Member of Parliament for Ruhinda North County in Mitooma District made the remarks today at the graduation ceremony held at the Kigezi Presidential Zonal Industrial Hub in Kabale district.
A total of 462 trainees of which 243 were girls from the first and the second intake completed their vocational training and were awarded certificates in seven (7) disciplines namely; Bakery & Confectionery, Welding and metal fabrications, Leather processing (shoe making). Tailoring and design, Hairdressing and makeup, Building and Construction Practice and Carpentry & Joinery.
Rt. Hon. Tayebwa thanked Members of Parliament especially on the budget committee for appropriating money to the Presidential hubs to ensure that more young people are trained hands-on skills saying the money has been well utilised. He implored students to be disciplined as they begin their journey into the money economy.
“Now you look at me as the Deputy Speaker of Parliament but a few years ago I was like you, and I was nobody. I once went on the streets and demonstrated but I never lost focus. You can also make it in life and it’s now your turn to change the situation,” Rt. Hon. Tayebwa told the youths, cautioning them against bad practices like alcoholism.
“One of the biggest problems we now have is alcoholism among the youths. When you get some little money, instead of investing it to increase your incomes, you resort to drinking. This is wrong,” Mr. Tayebwa stressed.
This facility is located in two villages of (Rukaranga and Murambo) both in Buranga Parish, Kamuganguzi sub county, Ndorwa West Constituency Kabale District. It comprises students from 9 Administrative units. i.e. 6 districts and 3 municipalities namely; Kabale, Kabale municipality, Rubanda district, Rukiga district, Kisoro District, Kisoro Municipality, Rukungiri District, Rukungiri Municipality and Kanungu District.
Hon. David Bahati, the Minister of State for Trade in charge of Industry and also the Member of Parliament for Ndorwa West in Kabale saluted State House for fulfilling the vision of H.E the President through establishing Presidential skilling hubs which are up to the standard across the country.
“We appropriated 120 billion shillings to build Presidential hubs in all the regions in Uganda. I’m happy that this was fulfilled. We are very impressed by what you are doing. Equipping you with skills that can be used by our country to create jobs is at the forefront of our program as NRM government led by President Museveni to ensure prosperity,” Hon. Bahati said, adding that the skilling program falls into the bigger part of industrialization of Uganda.
According to the State House Comptroller, Ms. Jane Barekye, all what President Museveni intended to achieve when he initiated the Industrial hubs has been achieved which include among others; create jobs among the youth, train job creators not job seekers, reduce criminality and above all improve 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,” Ms. Barekye said.
She also called upon the trainees to remain disciplined as they look for opportunities.
Kigezi Industrial Zonal Hub in Kabale district is one of the 19 hubs constructed across the country with the aim of equipping over 12, 000 youths every year under the Presidential Initiative on skilling of the youth to usher them into the money economy. Other beneficiaries include Greater Mbarara, Greater Masaka, Kayunga, Kampala, Kyenjojo, Kasese, Ntoroko, Adjumani, Gulu, Lira, Mbale, Kibuku, and Jinja districts.
The trainees did two sets of examinations from the Directorate of Industrial Training under the Ministry of Education and Sports which included a modular assessment in the first set and level one in the 2nd set.
Each learner was awarded with a Uganda Vocational Qualifications Level One Certificate by the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) 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 said.
The Manager Kigezi Presidential Zonal Industrial Hub, Mr. Lion Mwebesa Emmanuel saluted the UPDF for the Mindset Training and Ideological Orientation which he said did a commendable work in instilling vocational skills, Kiswahili, life skills, physical fitness and discipline.
“It has been a collective responsibility for all staff to make sure that all trainees improve on their discipline and I am glad we achieved that. We have not only skilled these trainees but also nurtured them to be transformational leaders. Our great thanks go to H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, for his great wisdom of skilling the youth, I also want to thank him for fulfilling his promise of building Industrial Hubs as per his Manifesto for last elections. Our guest of Honor, I want to report to you that this is the best way of bringing our youth into the money economy,” Mr. Mwebesa said.
He implored graduates to create their future now that they have the required skills.
“As a Manager, I derive my inner satisfaction from seeing a transformed life where I have participated. I’m proud of you. This is the day that the Lord has made,” he said.
The Woman Member of Parliament for Kabale District, Hon. Catherine Ndamira Atwikiire appreciated President Museveni for his vision to fight poverty in Uganda especially in the districts of Kabale, Kisoro, Rubanda, Rukia, Kanungu and Rukungiri.
“I thank President Museveni, for the period he has been in power, he has championed peace and transformation. I thank our children for accepting to join the money economy through learning employable vocational skills. As a member of the budget committee, we have agreed to add money to the State House to further empower this program,” Hon. Ndamira added.
The Director of Industrial Hubs and Presidential Projects at State House, Eng. Raymond Akankwatsa Kamugisha, appreciated partners with whom they work with to ensure the success of the program. These include among others; the Ministry of Local government, RDCs, Youth Chairpersons, people with disabilities and the UPDF who specialise in mindset change and ideology.
Earlier, The National Youth Coordinator- State House, Eng. Joseph Ssewava appreciated the people of Kigezi for electing H.E Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, saying without him, such programs would not be in place.
“When President Museveni came to power, he lit the candle of peace which is still burning up to now in Uganda. That’s why we’re able to send our children here and study for six months for free without any interruptions, and we’re now here to celebrate their qualifications. When President Museveni said he’s securing your future, this is what he meant,” Eng. Ssewava said.
In April 2022, the government commissioned the Presidential Initiative for Zonal Industrial Hub in Kigezi region aimed at skilling youth in the districts of Rukungiri, Kabale, Kisoro, Kanungu, Rubanda, and Rukiga as well as the three Municipalities of Kabale, Kisoro and Rukungiri.
The ceremony was attended by Resident district commissioners, LCV chairpersons, security officers, District commercial Officers and District National Resistance Movement-NRM chairpersons.