The praise follows the establishment of the Karamoja Zonal Industrial Hub in Napak District, where more than 1,460 youths have completed vocational training since the facility was launched in 2023.
John Paul Kodet Ditecks, the Napak District chairperson and chairperson of the Karamoja Zonal Industrial Hub, said the programme has significantly improved youth employability across the region.
He said beneficiaries receive hands-on training in trades including bricklaying, carpentry and joinery, hairdressing, plumbing and shoemaking.
"This initiative is transformative. Many of our young people now have practical skills that enable them to earn a living and support their families," Ditecks said.
Among the current trainees is 27-year-old Dennis Opio, a resident of Lwamuge Village in Lwamuge Town Council, Abim District. Despite having a physical disability affecting one of his hands, Opio is training in shoemaking.
His instructor, Caroline Inyakoit, described him as a dedicated and fast learner.
"Though he uses only one hand, he is passionate about the craft and eager to learn. Within just a month, he has already started making shoes. Before joining the hub, he survived on casual work in his village, but we are optimistic his future is now much brighter," she said.
Opio is among the 241 trainees currently enrolled in the fourth intake at the Karamoja Industrial Hub.
Kotido Municipality Mayor Peter Abrahams Irar described the initiative as a game changer in tackling youth unemployment.
"We are overwhelmed by the number of young people seeking to enrol in these skilling centres. This clearly shows the demand and impact of the programme. That is why we are advocating for the establishment of an additional hub to cater for more beneficiaries," Irar said.
Kotido District chairperson Paul Lotee Komol, popularly known as "Kacheri Boy", echoed the call for expansion to enable more communities to benefit.
During a regional stakeholders' meeting in Napak District attended by State House Comptroller Jane Barekye and other officials, government unveiled plans to introduce stone crushing as a value-addition enterprise tailored to Karamoja's natural resources.
"In other regions, value addition focuses on food crops. Here in Karamoja, we are introducing stone crushing so that beneficiaries can generate income from locally available resources," Barekye said.
She also urged local governments to support graduates by awarding them contracts to supply goods such as school uniforms and furniture to help sustain their businesses.
Barekye revealed that government has earmarked Shs50 billion in soft loans to support graduates of the Presidential Industrial Hubs to establish and expand enterprises.
Several alumni shared testimonies of how the programme had enabled them to become self-employed after receiving startup capital and tools.
John Mark Nangiro, a carpentry graduate from Napak District, said he received Shs1.35 million, which he invested in buying planing and grinding machines.
However, he said the absence of electricity remains a major obstacle.
"The machines require electricity, but we do not have power in our area. We appeal to the government to extend electricity to support our businesses," Nangiro said.
Martin Angella from Katanga Village in Nadunget Sub-county, Moroto District, said he received Shs1.15 million, which he used to purchase carpentry tools.
He said the support enabled him to establish a workshop, earn a steady income and train other young people.
"I am now able to make a living and pass on the skills to others. This programme has not only changed my life but is also impacting many others," Angella said.
Eng. Raymond Kamugisha, the Director of Presidential Projects and Industrial Hubs at State House, said officials have begun assessing all Presidential Industrial Hubs across the country to identify operational needs and improve service delivery.
He added that government plans to construct additional hubs to expand access to vocational training.
The Presidential Industrial Hubs initiative is part of government's broader strategy to tackle youth unemployment by equipping young people with practical vocational skills and facilitating access to startup capital.
Leaders in Karamoja said the programme's impact could be significantly enhanced through further expansion of the hubs and complementary infrastructure, particularly rural electrification.