Agriculture Minister Frank Tumwebaze has urged young Ugandans to take commercial farming seriously and embrace value addition as a tool for improving household incomes and driving self-employment.
Speaking through Kamwenge LC5 Chairperson Joseph Karungi at the third graduation ceremony of the Uganda Rural Development and Training Institute (URDTI), Tumwebaze called for a mindset shift among youth, warning against dismissing agriculture as a non-profitable venture.
“Agriculture, being the backbone of Uganda’s economy, contributes heavily to economic welfare. I am glad that some youth have ventured into poultry, cattle and goat rearing, as well as crop growing. Some have already testified to the benefits,” Karungi said, addressing over 1,900 graduates at Kamwenge Model Primary School.
Tumwebaze appealed to the government to complement vocational and agricultural skilling efforts by investing in value addition.
He said this would not only boost commercial farming but also accelerate poverty alleviation, especially in rural communities.
The graduates, drawn from across the country, completed training in agriculture, tourism, and construction, and received certificates in hands-on trades such as carpentry, bakery, tailoring, hairdressing, welding, hotel management, bricklaying, shoemaking, mushroom growing, dairy farming, and fish rearing.
URDTI founder Dr Mwalimu Musheshe, who also serves as Vice Chancellor of African Rural University, revealed that since 2021, over 70,000 youth have been trained through satellite model centres across 20 districts and four refugee settlements — Rwamwanja, Kiryandongo, Kyaka I & II, and Kyangwali.
“We have focused on young people between the ages of 18 and 30, including persons with disabilities and young women. Many of them are now running their own enterprises in their communities,” Musheshe said.
He credited the training model for not only imparting skills but also boosting the economic welfare of the trainees, especially in rural and marginalised areas.
Joan Birahwa, an epicentre manager in Kamwenge, said the programme has had a transformative impact on women, enabling them to gain financial independence.
“Women no longer rely on their husbands for basic needs like clothing, soap and salt. Some have even employed others in businesses like hairdressing, tailoring, and dairy farming. Domestic violence, which was fuelled by financial strain, has significantly reduced,” Birahwa said.
Kamwenge District Education Officer Stephen Barinaitwe also praised the programme and its sponsors, Mastercard Foundation and URDTI, for creating employment opportunities in an area where youth unemployment was high.
“It’s a great opportunity for Kamwenge. Most of our unemployed youth are now self-reliant and even creating jobs for others,” Barinaitwe said.
Graduates expressed gratitude to Dr Musheshe and Mastercard Foundation, which injected Shs 300 million into savings and credit cooperatives (SACCOs) through Equity Bank to help the beneficiaries start and expand their enterprises.