Nkozi University lecturers take business lessons to Kayabwe trading centre

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Over 150 small business owners in Kayabwe Town Council, Mpigi District, have been equipped with practical knowledge and skills to help sustain and grow their businesses.

The group included savings groups and individuals running salons, roadside eateries, grocery stalls, and retail shops. Others were market vendors and metal fabricators.

The training workshop, held on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, was organised by lecturers from the Faculty of Business Administration and Management at Uganda Martyrs University (UMU), Nkozi. It ran under the theme “Empowering Communities Through Business Knowledge and Innovation.”

The business owners asked questions. (Courtesy)

The initiative follows recent research by the faculty, which revealed that while a large number of residents are engaged in small businesses, nearly 60% of these ventures are struggling, and many collapse within their first year.

Cyprian Ssebagala, Dean of the Faculty, attributed this trend to a lack of basic business knowledge. “The owners don’t know how to run their businesses,” he said.

In response, UMU lecturers, including Sister Marie Goretti Nakitende, Jude Kimera, Josephine Namuli, Martin Kasenge Jjuuko, and Dr Nalela Kizito, delivered sessions covering key topics such as the importance of building a strong brand, how to market it to customers, and the fundamentals of business planning, budgeting, and record keeping.

A key focus of the workshop was taxation. Juuko and Dr Nalela emphasised the importance of paying taxes and warned of the serious consequences of evasion. “There are heavy penalties involved in evading taxes,” they said. “Your business could be closed.”

Participants also learnt how to use smartphones to attract and engage customers through social media platforms.

Fr Dr Christopher Mukidi, UMU’s Deputy Vice Chancellor, described community engagement as the university’s third core pillar, alongside teaching and research. “UMU has a responsibility to develop its community,” he said. “I applaud the lecturers for sharing such transformative information.”

He urged the business owners not only to apply the skills they had gained but also to share the knowledge with others to help grow Kayabwe’s business community.

The lecturers who facilitated the workshop. (Courtesy)

The workshop was also attended by Kayabwe Town Council Mayor Zed Kasule, Town Clerk Michael Lutalo Senyonjo, and officials from Centenary Bank.

According to the State of Entrepreneurship in Uganda 2024 report by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of Uganda’s economy, accounting for over 90% of private sector firms and employing millions of citizens.