President Museveni has allocated a second Presidential Zonal Industrial Hub to the Karamoja sub-region as part of efforts to expand access to vocational training and economic empowerment opportunities for young people.
The new facility will serve the North Karamoja cluster, covering Abim, Karenga, Kaabong, Kotido Municipality and Kotido District, State House Comptroller Jane Barekye has announced.
Barekye confirmed the development on Wednesday during a stakeholder meeting held at the existing Karamoja Zonal Industrial Hub in Napak District.
She said the current hub in Napak will continue serving other areas, including Nakapiripirit, Nabilatuk, Napak, Moroto Municipality and Moroto District.
According to Barekye, the establishment of an additional hub fulfils President Museveni’s campaign pledge to the people of Karamoja and is part of government’s wider strategy to equip youth with practical skills for income generation.
“During campaigns, the President promised you another industrial hub in Karamoja. Therefore, when you avail us land, we shall construct the industrial hub for North Karamoja,” Barekye said.
The announcement was welcomed by local leaders, several of whom pledged to provide land to enable the project to begin.
Those who committed support included Kotido District Chairperson Lotee Paul Komol, also known as Kacheri Boy; Karenga Deputy Resident District Commissioner Ronald Kedi Ongodia; Kotido Municipality Mayor Peter Abrahams Irar; and Abim District Local Council Five Chairperson Johnny De West Ariko.
Ariko said Abim District had already secured land for the project.
“For us in Abim, we already have 70 acres of land with a land title, so we are ready to hand it over to State House,” he said.
The expansion of the industrial hub network is expected to increase skills training opportunities for youth in areas such as carpentry, tailoring, welding, mechanics and agribusiness.
The hubs provide six-month hands-on training programmes, after which graduates are supported to form Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs) through which they can access startup capital and acquire working tools.
During the meeting, John Bosco Lorot was officially unveiled as the new Finance Manager of the Karamoja Zonal Industrial Hub.
Lorot will oversee financial operations, including management of SACCO funds established by graduates of the training programme.
Barekye said Lorot was competitively recruited and was qualified for the position.
“He is a son of the soil. We advertised, he applied, passed the interviews, and is suitable for the job. I wanted to unveil him here so that when you see him, you don’t think he is a masquerader,” she said.
The Presidential Zonal Industrial Hubs initiative is a government programme aimed at addressing youth unemployment through skills development and entrepreneurship.
Officials said the second hub in Karamoja will enable more young people in the region to access vocational training, increase household incomes and contribute to local economic growth.
