NUP Chairman Praises Museveni Skilling Programme, Calls for New Hub in Iganga

What the report says

Iganga District LCV chairperson Shabiru Isabirye Kalulu, who is associated with the opposition National Unity Platform, has publicly praised President Yoweri Museveni’s Presidential Industrial Skilling Hubs programme and urged government to expand it in eastern Uganda. According to Nile Post, he made the remarks during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Busoga Zonal Presidential Industrial Hub in Nakabango, Jinja City, where leaders and programme officials reviewed progress, challenges and support for beneficiaries.

Isabirye said the training centres are helping young people gain practical skills for self-employment and small businesses. He highlighted the programme’s free tuition, accommodation, meals and materials, and encouraged youth aged 18 to 35 to take advantage of the opportunity. He also said elected leaders should prioritize service delivery over party politics when assessing programmes that benefit residents.

The chairman used the meeting to request a new industrial skilling hub in Iganga District and asked State House Comptroller Jane Barekye to relay the appeal to Museveni. He also suggested upgrades to the existing Busoga hub, including better walkways, additional structures and more vehicles for transport and outreach. Barekye, according to the report, said the hubs are meant to serve Ugandans regardless of political affiliation and praised the Busoga hub’s leadership.

The article adds that State House official Raymond Kamugisha said Museveni had already approved another hub for Busoga, to be sited in Bugiri District, pending land identification. More broadly, the skilling hub programme is part of Uganda’s effort to reduce youth unemployment through vocational training and job creation, with the Busoga facility one of several hubs operating across the country.