Nearly a year after President Yoweri Museveni pledged financial support to graduates of the Presidential Skilling Hub in Napak, youth in Kaabong District say they are yet to see the money that was supposed to help them start businesses.
When the Karamoja Presidential Industrial Hub was launched on November 4, 2024, Museveni promised that each group of graduates would be supported with startup capital to put their newly acquired skills to work. The directive required the youth to form Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCOs) in their home districts and open bank accounts where the funds would be deposited.
In Kaabong, this process was completed months ago. The graduates formed SACCOs, opened accounts with Pride Bank, and prepared to receive about UGX 200 million intended for equipment such as welding machines, tailoring tools, and timber supplies. But as of now, no money has been disbursed.
District Commercial Officer John Bosco Lokong confirmed that despite fulfilling all requirements, the Kaabong youth have received nothing. “The SACCO is ready. The accounts are there, but no funds have been released, and no explanation has been given,” he said.
Graduates like Sarah Ilukol and Brenda Lolem expressed frustration, saying they risk losing the skills gained from the skilling program if they cannot establish workshops and businesses. “We need the capital now, otherwise the knowledge we acquired will go to waste,” one of them said.
Julius Muhairwe, the coordinator of the Presidential Industrial Skilling Hubs, attributed the delays to challenges in completing SACCO formation and the fact that many graduates do not yet have national identity cards. He noted that around 80 percent of trainees lack IDs, which could prevent them from accessing the funds.
The situation has left many young people in Kaabong in limbo, trained but unable to work. Without the promised support, they fear slipping back into poverty and unemployment, undermining the government’s goal of using the hubs to create self-sufficient, skilled entrepreneurs in Karamoja.