The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs, Rt Hon Rebecca Kadaga, has called for increased investment in youth skilling initiatives to accelerate Uganda’s economic transformation. Speaking at a showcasing at Kigowa skilling centre in Kampala, Kadaga commended the progress made in equipping young Ugandans with practical skills but emphasised the need for further expansion to accommodate more youth across the country.
Drawing from the success of countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the Philippines, Kadaga urged the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Trade to explore innovative ways of integrating locally produced goods into global markets. “If we invest in local production, such as uniform manufacturing and craft industries, we can strengthen the “Buy Uganda, Build Uganda” initiative,” she stated. She also highlighted Uganda’s untapped potential to convert agricultural by-products into high-value products, pointing to the use of pineapple fibre in the Philippines and sugarcane waste in other countries as examples to follow.
Captain Mike Mukula, the NRM Vice Chairperson for Eastern Uganda, echoed Kadaga’s call for the expansion of skilling initiatives, stressing that the establishment of a dedicated Ministry for Skilling and Youth Empowerment would streamline national efforts. Mukula noted that Uganda’s youthful demographic, with 80% of the population under the age of 30, necessitates urgent intervention. He proposed a shift in focus from exporting unskilled labour to providing professional training in high-demand fields like healthcare and culinary arts, to enable young people to tap into global employment opportunities
The speakers also highlighted the importance of regional cooperation in industrial training. They highlighted Uganda’s growing role in manufacturing, including supplying hospital beds to Rwanda and showcasing metalwork at the East African Trade Show in South Sudan. This demonstrated Uganda’s potential as a key player in regional trade and production.
Kadaga suggested reintroducing practical subjects like technical drawing and metalwork into school curricula to foster early skill development. She referred to Vietnam’s industrial model, where factories specialise in manufacturing different components of bicycles, as a model that could be replicated in Uganda across various sectors.
At the event, Dr Faith Katana Mirembe, Head of the Presidential initiative for Skilling the Girl/Boy Child Project, shared insights into the success of the Kigowa-Katana initiative. She highlighted how the programme had transformed young people, previously considered lost or wayward, into productive, responsible citizens.
Through this programme, many young people had developed market-ready skills, such as tailoring, bakery, and carpentry, and had gone on to create their own businesses or secure employment. Dr Mirembe stressed that this was just the beginning, and they were working to expand the initiative to benefit more youth across Uganda.
Ms Naikazi Sarah, Administrator of the Kigowa Skilling Centre, also reflected on the success of the programme, noting that while the centre had 468 students enrolled across various disciplines, there remained a significant gender gap. Out of the total students, only 56 were boys. She called for greater efforts to encourage young men to embrace vocational training, emphasising that skilling was not just for girls, but for all Ugandans seeking a better future.
Both Kadaga and Mukula reaffirmed their commitment to supporting youth skilling initiatives, with Kadaga pledging to advocate for the certification of locally made products through the Uganda National Bureau of Standards to improve their competitiveness in both domestic and international markets. She further pledged to push for the expansion of skilling centres to cover more regions, ensuring that no young person was left behind in the country’s growth journey.
Also present at the showcasing were members of Parliament, local leaders and parents of the trainees.
The event marked a significant step in Uganda’s efforts to equip its youth with the skills needed to drive economic growth, create jobs, and position the country as a competitive force in the East African region.
