Museveni Allocates Second Industrial Hub to North Karamoja

What the report says

Nile Post reports that President Yoweri Museveni has approved a second Presidential Zonal Industrial Hub for Uganda’s Karamoja sub-region, intended to widen access to vocational training and support youth employment and enterprise. The planned hub will serve the North Karamoja cluster, which the report identifies as Abim, Karenga, Kaabong, Kotido Municipality and Kotido District.

State House Comptroller Jane Barekye announced the development on Wednesday during a stakeholders’ meeting at the existing Karamoja Zonal Industrial Hub in Napak District. According to the report, the Napak facility will continue serving Nakapiripirit, Nabilatuk, Napak, Moroto Municipality and Moroto District. Barekye linked the additional hub to a campaign pledge by Museveni and said construction would proceed once land is made available.

Local leaders welcomed the plan and indicated readiness to support it with land, Nile Post reported. They included Kotido District Chairperson Lotee Paul Komol, Karenga Deputy Resident District Commissioner Ronald Kedi Ongodia, Kotido Municipality Mayor Peter Abrahams Irar and Abim District LC5 Chairperson Johnny De West Ariko. Ariko said Abim had already secured 70 acres with a land title for possible handover to State House.

The report says the hubs train youth for six months in practical fields such as carpentry, tailoring, welding, mechanics and agribusiness, and graduates are later organized into SACCOs to help them access startup capital and tools. At the same meeting, John Bosco Lorot was introduced as the new Finance Manager for the Karamoja hub, with responsibility for financial operations including graduate SACCO funds.