By Mariam Nalunkuuma

THE newly-elected Kampala mayor has secured 3,000 employment opportunities for both skilled and unskilled manpower in the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Speaking to the New Vision on Tuesday, Nasser Ntege Sebaggala said, “After performing our mini-pilgrimage (Ummr-ah), a religious obligation in Mecca and Medina, we met different people interested in providing employment opportunities to Ugandans. We were advised to find 3,000 persons as soon as possible to be recruited into their construction companies.

“I have registered 500 people but we have a challenge because there is no proper procedure and technical arrangement, which we need to work out before sending off these people.”

Sebaggala met the investors in Jeddah, last week, with the Jinja mayor-elect Kezaala Baswale, Kawempe North MP Latif Ssebagala, Butambala MP Lubega Kaddunabbi and Makindye West MP-elect Hussein Kyanjo.

Latif Sebaggala confirmed the meeting saying, “We met some Kuwaiti and Saudi Arabian-based investors who are willing to provide employment for Ugandans in their respective governments.”

He said, “The royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has job opportunities but the conditions to send out people need to be formalised. If the procedures were in existence, over 300 Ugandans would have got kyeyo in Saudi Arabia.”

Kyanjo said, “There are many people interested in investing in Uganda and provide jobs. Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar secured jobs for their nationals who are recruited every year, but because there is no clear procedure in Uganda, we do not have access to such opportunities.”

He added, “The investors are waiting to sign an agreement with the Uganda government.”