The State House Comptroller, Ms. Jane Barekye, has called on leaders in Karamoja sub-region to wholeheartedly embrace the Presidential Initiative on Skilling Uganda programme saying it will create jobs for the youths and empower them economically.
This was during a pre-launch engagement with Karamoja stakeholders as part of the “Countrywide State House Comptroller Engagement with Stakeholders on the Selection of Beneficiaries of the Zonal Industrial Hubs Under the Presidential Initiative on Skilling Uganda” programme at the newly constructed industrial hub in Napak district today.
Ms. Barekye warned the leaders of Karamoja against corruption and any form of discrimination during the selection process of the beneficiaries across the nine districts that make up Karamoja zone. She emphasised that they should select the beneficiaries from their own districts so that they apply the skills in their own communities.
“Karamoja should embrace the programme and use it to skill most of the youthful population. It will lead to mindset change and economic transformation,” she said.
She hailed President Museveni for his vision to transform the youths through the skilling programme.
She said the programme will be benefiting 300 learners every semester and a total of 600 learners every year. Beneficiaries will be equipped with skills in tailoring, shoe making, knitting and weaving, welding, masonry and confectionary, among others.
She said storage facilities (silos) will be constructed at the hub for people to use free of charge. A four-acre demonstration farm will be set up for people from across the region to visit and learn about the different forms of agriculture.
Napak district LC5 chairman, Mr. John Paul Kodet, said the industrial hub will go a long way in helping to fight and control cattle rustling in Karamoja because it will massively engage and rehabilitate youths and change their mindset from cattle rustling to development- oriented activities which will empower them financially.
“The hub could be an opportunity for Karamoja to rehabilitate the youths and change their mindset by recruiting them into the skilling programme. The Karamojong are so skilled and can produce any product once given the necessary training and skilling,” he said.
Mr. Kodet was excited that the shoemaking programme had finally reached Karamoja saying as cattle keepers, the region has enough raw materials particularly skins and hides which will be supplied to the hub to boost the shoe-making programme. He said most of their animal skin and hides were being exported to other areas at very low prices.
He appealed that after the end of every skilling programme, there is need to support the learners with the necessary equipment to enable them easily fit into the job market.
This is already provided for under the programme.
Napak Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr. Moses Kigayi Wamoto, appealed to the leadership of Karamoja to embrace the programe by having a positive sense of ownership saying the programme will only register success if the leaders are fully involved and show interest in the skilling of their young people.
Kigayi also challenged the leaders to use the programme as a unifying factor to the different groups in the region like the Dodoth, Matheniko, Jie, to mention but a few.
The Chief administrative Officer (CAO), Mr. Jackson Byaruhanga, said as a host district of the programme, they will ensure that the whole of Karamoja region benefits equally from the facility saying besides providing skills to the youths, it will also go a long way in helping to cub the insecurity problem by engaging the young people to acquire hand on knowledge to liberate themselves economically.
Eng. Raymond Kamugisha, the Director of Industrial Hubs and Presidential Projects in State House, warned against corruption in the recruitment and selection process of the beneficiaries saying the programme is free of charge and those found soliciting money from them in order to enroll them shall be arrested and prosecuted.
The Napak hub is one of 21 constructed countrywide and which will benefit the most vulnerable youths including orphans, young mothers and school-dropouts.
The meeting was attended by district leaders and officials from the nine districts that make up Karamoja sub-region. They included district chairpersons, RDCs, DISOs, CAOs and other senior district officials.
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