Skills Training Gives Kabarole Youth New Hope, But Taxes Threaten Emerging Enterprises

What the report says

More than 260 young people in greater Kabarole, including Kyenjojo, Bunyangabu and Fort Portal, have completed vocational and practical training through a youth development project, according to Nile Post. The initiative is run by Joint Efforts to Save the Environment (JESE) with support from Welthungerhilfe and funding from Germany’s BMZ, under the Integrated Learning and Skills Development Project using the SkillUp approach.

The programme, which began in 2024, has trained participants in areas such as hairdressing, welding, mechanics, photography and videography. Some beneficiaries have already started small businesses, using the new skills to move from unemployment toward self-employment. One participant, David Kato of Fort Portal North Division, said training in photography and videography helped him find a career direction, though he is still struggling with rent and other costs.

Beneficiaries and project leaders say taxes and operating expenses are making it hard for new enterprises to grow. They are calling for tax relief or a grace period for start-up youth businesses so they can become financially stable before facing full tax obligations. Project staff raised similar concerns during a stakeholder meeting in Bunyangabu and Fort Portal.

Local officials at the meeting said the next step should be to link trained youth to government and other support programmes, improve record-keeping, and encourage national ID registration so young entrepreneurs can be easier to reach. More broadly, the story underscores the challenge of turning skills training into lasting livelihoods without follow-up support, market access and a more enabling business environment.