Museveni gives Basoga youth 472 machines for jobs creation

President Museveni has handed over 472 machines to 3,228 youths in Busoga in a campaign dubbed Green Jobs that is aimed at helping the youth create own jobs.

The Green Jobs Programme, under the Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development saw the president handover a whole range of equipment ranging from grain millers, welding boxes and others as Business Start-up Toolkits targeting Jua-Kali and womens groups.

The launch and handover ceremony took place on Saturday at Kamuli District Headquarters Saza Grounds in Kamuli Municipality, Busoga Sub-region.

On arrival, Museveni was received by the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, the State Minister for Youth and Children affairs, Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi among others. He later inspected stalls of exhibitors that included Animal feeds millers, Grain millers, Commercial bakers and tailors.

The Uganda Green Jobs Programme aims at creating green and decent jobs to enhance labour productivity and reduce poverty through promotion of workplace skilling and enhancement of productivity and competitiveness of workers and enterprises.

Speaking shortly after the launch, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni revealed that he started waking up Ugandans to get out of poverty in the early 60s and has not relented.

“I have been doing this work of getting Ugandans out of sleeping since the early 60s. I started from our place in secondary school. That time all people did not know how to make money, they were only working for the stomach. When you hear people talking about poverty, the cause is working only for the stomach. Others who try to work for money do it without a calculation (Ekibalo). I want us to fight this war in phases,” Museveni said.

The President appealed to all people with land to engage in money- making enterprises such as commercial agriculture.

“In a parish, households that have one or two acres of land should grow food for both eating and selling for money but doing so with ‘Ekibalo’ (Calculation),” He added.

He explained to the attentive audience the four sectors of money that include; Commercial Agriculture, Industries (small and big) and adding value to what is produced, services like hotels, transports etc. and ICT.

“The NRM government recommends that all households should participate or get involved in any of the above sectors,” Museveni said.

Museveni urged Ugandans especially the Jua-Kali groups across the country to be patient and wait for their turn because the programme will be rolled out country wide.

“Don’t envy groups that have got help yet, we shall give everyone at an opportune time. People were asking why I started from Kampala, I had to start somewhere and the rest will follow. We could not start from all places at ago,” He said.

The President was pleased to note that the country is now speaking with one voice of prioritizing infrastructure development and money making sectors which has seen an increase in production which has led to surplus of sugar, coffee, milk, bananas etc.

“Now the Problem is the market. How to solve it? By collaborating with our neighbors in East Africa, Africa and others. Africans admire America because they have a big market with a big population that can consume their products,” he said.

The President congratulated the NRM fraternity in Busoga and Uganda in general for turning up in big numbers in the just concluded NRM primaries. He condemned violence, and intimidation of voters by some elements that were seen in some areas.

“In Mbarara, I gave them 4 days amnesty to come out and repent, failure to do it the law will take its course. Using violence is bad and beating people should stop. This government is for the people, so nobody should go back to that primitive politics of beating up people and intimidating others,” he said.

Responding to Speaker Kadaga’s reminder of the un-tamarched roads in the region, President Museveni said they have already agreed with UNRA to work on the Bukungu-Kamuli-Mbulamuti to Buyende road.

The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga thanked President Museveni and the NRM Government for supporting the youth and women with tools now in Busoga but also in Buganda recently.

“Today you are giving 79 groups tailoring machines, 11 groups will get ovens, 9 groups are getting desktop computers and so many others. The programme caters for both the educated and non-educated,” she said.

She appealed to the Ministry of Finance to increase the budget of this programme in the next financial year so that the programme can benefit many people.

The Minister of Gender Labor and Social Development in a statement read by the State Minister for Youth and Children’s Affair Hon. Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi said that this programme is a manifestation of the NRM Government’s commitment to support citizens of Uganda to engage in economic activities and also create employment for all.

She said the programme supports informal sector businesses in mechanical, metal fabrication and welding, electrical, woodwork and carpentry, art and design, leatherworks, textile and tailoring, plumbing and construction, agro-processing and ICT among others.

In December 2017, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni handed over equipment to the first cohort 87 groups with 2000 beneficiaries from Kampala and Wakiso districts respectively. Since then, these groups have expanded and grown, creating more employment and improving household incomes of the beneficiaries.

This Second Cohort launched today in Busoga is composed of 190 groups with a total membership of 3,228 members drawn from 9 districts namely; Kamuli, Buikwe, Jinja, Kaliro, Iganga, Mayuge, Namutumba, Mukono and Wakiso.