Africa-Press – Uganda. Minister for Presidency Milly Babirye Babalanda has urged Greater Masaka to “support President Museveni in 2026 due to continued stability that is now giving rise to the current socio-economic transformation in the country.”
In March 2024, the United Nations announced that Uganda had reached the lower-middle income status, but the minister believes the country needs to cement gains and join the upper ranks.
According to Babalanda, Museveni is focused on fighting unemployment in Uganda through equipping youth with employable skills.
“The more years we have with him [Museveni], the more we will have stability and the more these industrial hubs will grow and expand even into universities to accommodate more children,” she observed.
“I call upon all of you to support Museveni to lead and transform Uganda into a middle-income status country,” she said during the graduation at Greater Masaka Presidential Industrial Hub in Masaka City on Monday.
Historically, Masaka is considered an opposition stronghold. Currently, majority of voted leaders at various levels including local councils and parliament subscribe to the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP).
Meanwhile, a total of 447 trainees from the first and the second intakes completed their vocational training and were awarded certificates in seven (7) disciplines: Bakery & Confectionery, Welding and metal fabrications, Leather processing (shoe making), Tailoring and designing, Hairdressing and makeup, Building and Construction Practice and Carpentry and Joinery.
“The old saying of he who teaches you how to fish is greater than he who gives you the fish is coming to bear through these graduations. I commend the president who had this vision of expanding employment opportunities and skills for the young people,” Babalanda observed as she called upon parents to continue supporting their children.
Additionally, the minister further called on graduates to take advantage of the expanding business sector in Masaka City and surrounding areas so that they can open up their own enterprises.
State House Comptroller Jane Barekye urged district leaders to employ skilled youth who have gone through the industrial hub.
“When awarding these contracts to build schools and other works, put a condition for those companies to make sure they employ our skilled youth,” she added.
According to her, Museveni plans to set up common user facilities with required machines in every district to host skilling hubs and other business centres to give opportunities to youths who have graduated under the skills hub arrangement.
Greater Masaka Zonal Industrial Hub is one of the 19 hubs set up across the country with the aim of equipping over 12, 000 youths every year under the Presidential Initiative on skilling of the youth.
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