The State House has intensified its nationwide training program for leaders and members of the Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub SACCOs, urging beneficiaries to adopt financial discipline, plan before borrowing, and invest responsibly to achieve sustainable growth.
The latest training session was held on Sunday, October 19, 2025, at the Acholi Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub in Gulu City. It brought together SACCO members and leaders, commercial officers, and district officials from the Acholi, West Nile, and Lango subregions.
The program follows President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s recent empowerment initiative through which he injected Shs8.8 billion into SACCOs attached to the Presidential Industrial Skilling Hubs to support graduates with start-up capital. Each SACCO received Shs50 million to help beneficiaries transform their acquired skills into viable enterprises.
During the training, State House Comptroller Jane Barekye emphasized the importance of transparency, accountability, and strategic planning in the management of the SACCO funds.
“If the funds are well utilised, President Museveni has promised to add more money in your SACCOs,” Barekye said.
She urged leaders to remain disciplined and fair in managing the funds to ensure that all beneficiaries benefit from the President’s initiative. She also called on parents to guide their children in using the money productively.
“My advice to the parents is that you encourage these children to use the money to enhance their skills. They shouldn’t divert the money to other unproductive things,” she said.
Barekye further advised beneficiaries to apply for loans only when they have a clear business plan, stressing that preparation and planning are key to running a successful enterprise.
“First, have a plan for what you want to use the money for. Don’t just get it. With no plan, this money will not do what it’s intended for,” she warned.
She encouraged the trainees to focus on developing practical business ideas and ventures that can create jobs and promote community development.
Director of Presidential Projects and Industrial Hubs, Eng. Raymond Kamugisha, urged SACCO members to work together and maintain unity, saying collaboration would enable them to undertake larger projects.
“We shall start to get bigger loans if you work together and have big projects,” Kamugisha said.
“You should share responsibility and keep in touch with each other so that we can easily follow up with you, and if you get any challenges, always inform us,” he added.
Kamugisha also appealed to commercial officers to support the skilling hub graduates in registering companies so they can compete for local government tenders and contracts.
The training featured facilitators including Joseph Lutalo from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, and Abdallah Aziz Apat from Post Bank. They guided participants on financial management, cooperative governance, and entrepreneurship. The facilitators encouraged participants to maintain communication, share experiences, and support one another to help their businesses grow.
Success Stories
The training also showcased several success stories from graduates of the Acholi Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub who have transformed their lives through the skills they acquired.
Jacqueline Ayubu, a former student at the hub, said she now owns a shoe-making business earning a daily profit of Shs50,000.
“Before, I was dealing in agricultural produce having dropped out of school and I was earning Shs5,000 per day. I later heard of Acholi Skilling Hub through a friend and applied. I did a course in shoe making that has changed my life,” she said.
“I want to thank President Museveni for this initiative because if it wasn’t him, I wouldn’t be here. I also thank the President for the Shs50 million support to our SACCO,” she added.
Another beneficiary, Onek Peter, who studied welding and metal fabrication at the Acholi Hub, now owns a workshop at Layibi Centre where he earns about Shs500,000 per month and trains other young people.
“I want to thank President Museveni for this initiative and for the skills I gained from here. I dropped out of school because my parents could not afford school fees, but because of this hub, I now work and train other youth in welding,” he said.
Mwaka Emmanuel Edgar, who trained in tailoring at the Acholi Hub, now runs a workshop in Kitgum Town employing two people. He pays each employee Shs150,000 per month and saves about Shs600,000 monthly.
“I want to thank President Museveni for this opportunity. It helped me to acquire skills and I’m now earning good money,” he said.
The State House training is part of a wider nationwide initiative aimed at equipping SACCO members and leaders with financial management and entrepreneurship skills.
The program seeks to ensure the sustainability of government empowerment projects and strengthen Uganda’s journey toward economic self-reliance.
By promoting accountability, teamwork, and responsible investment, the government hopes to create a generation of skilled, self-reliant entrepreneurs capable of driving grassroots economic transformation across the country.
