The State House has embarked on the induction of 36 newly recruited farm managers and finance officers who will oversee agricultural enterprises at the Presidential Industrial Skilling Hubs and supervise more than 170 Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs) established to support graduates of the skilling programme.
The officers are undergoing a week-long ideological and leadership course at the Oliver Reginald Tambo Leadership School in Kaweweta, Nakaseke district, ahead of their deployment to various parts of the country.
The training, which commenced on Monday, June 22, 2026, and ends on Friday, June 26, 2026, is exposing the recruits to leadership, patriotism, political economy, mindset transformation and the universal principles of development.
Senior instructors led by the school’s Deputy Commandant, Lt Col. AK Alege, are taking the officers through various modules aimed at nurturing visionary and transformational leaders capable of safeguarding the investments made under the Presidential Industrial Skilling Hubs programme.
While officially opening the training, the Director of Presidential Projects and Industrial Hubs at State House, Eng. Raymond Kamugisha, challenged the officers to appreciate Uganda’s history and allow it to guide their decision making in public service.
“History offers important lessons for national development. As leaders entrusted with public resources, you must understand where this country has come from and ensure that every decision you make contributes towards the transformation of our people,” Eng. Kamugisha said.
He revealed that the State House is shifting focus towards making the 19 Presidential Industrial Skilling Hubs financially sustainable through value addition projects being established across the country.
According to Eng. Kamugisha, a paper processing plant has already been established at the Mbarara Presidential Industrial Hub, while a grain milling facility is under testing at the Masindi hub, with similar projects being rolled out in the remaining hubs.
“Our objective is to ensure that these hubs become centres of production and wealth creation. Skills alone are not enough; value addition is critical if we are to realize maximum benefits from these investments,” he said.
Eng. Kamugisha noted that the newly recruited officers will oversee the farms established at the hubs and provide technical guidance to over 170 graduates’ SACCOs into which President Yoweri Museveni injected Shs50 million each as revolving funds.
“The President has committed enormous resources towards these farms and SACCOs because he believes in empowering young people to create wealth. These investments require professional management and accountability if they are to deliver lasting impact,” he said.
He also disclosed that State House will soon recruit additional experts to manage the value addition plants that are being established at the hubs.
Eng. Kamugisha, however, warned the officers against corruption and the mismanagement of public funds, saying even the slightest abuse of office could cost one a career in public service.
“Public service demands integrity and accountability. You must appreciate that there is no small amount when it comes to misuse of government resources. Even the misappropriation of Shs10,000 can cost you your job and destroy a career that may have taken years to build,” he cautioned.
He urged the recruits to jealously guard public resources and uphold the values of honesty and patriotism in executing their duties.
“We are not merely deploying workers; we are building custodians of a national vision. You must be disciplined, transparent and committed to serving Ugandans with utmost integrity,” Eng. Kamugisha emphasized.
The State House official further disclosed that they are seeking a directive from President Museveni requiring government institutions, particularly local governments, to prioritize procurement of products manufactured at the Presidential Industrial Skilling Hubs. These include furniture, school uniforms, metallic doors, windows, shutters and other products made by beneficiaries of the programme.
“We need to support our own industries and our own people. The young men and women trained at these hubs have demonstrated exceptional skills and are producing products of high quality,” he said.
“The government should deliberately buy from them because that is how we stimulate local production, create jobs and keep wealth within our economy.”
The Presidential Industrial Skilling Hubs programme was established to equip youths with practical skills and promote self-employment as part of the government’s strategy to fight unemployment and accelerate socio-economic transformation.
Upon completion of the training, the officers will be deployed to their respective stations to support the sustainability and growth of the initiative.
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