'Thank Museveni for skilling Kampala youth by voting for NRM'

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National Resistance Movement (NRM) party mobilisation director, Rosemary Seninde, has urged parents and youth in Kampala city to thank President Yoweri Museveni for his initiative aimed at equipping ghetto youth with practical skills.

“Kampala residents should be wise and vote for NRM and President Museveni in 2026. As an NRM mobiliser, I am here to remind you all we should be grateful to Museveni for skilling the youth of this nation,” Seninde says.

Seninde lauded Museveni for restoring peace in the country, which she believes is a vital ingredient in building a great economy.

She made these remarks on March 3, 2025, at the Mulago Skilling Centre in Kampala during an exhibition of students’ work achieved during a six-months of vocational training. The training was sponsored by the State House under the Presidential Initiative on Skilling the Girl/Boy Child.

“I thank President Museveni; he has been a gift to us,” she said. “He gave us peace and freedom of choice, for which we should be very grateful. He has also provided a solution to unemployment through skilling the youth.”

Seninde, who was the guest of honour at this event, also seized the opportunity to campaign for her fellow party member Faridah Nambi, the Kawempe North MP byelection NRM flag-bearer.

“I expect each of you to bring at least 20 others to vote. This is a mock election for President Museveni in Buganda region and will prove your loyalty towards him and the NRM party ahead of the 2026 elections,” Seninde said.

National Resistance Movement (NRM) party mobilisation director, Rosemary Seninde. (Credit: Colleb Mugume)

Dr Faith Mirembe Katana, the head of skilling, who heads the nine skilling centres in Kampala, said Ugandans should take advantage of the huge population to tap into it as a vast market for their products. They should also create world-class products that can compete on the global market and export them to as far as China instead of just importing Chinese products.

She, like many other speakers on this occasion, commended State House Comptroller Jane Barekye and the President for their great support in ensuring the skilling project is given adequate materials and financing to keep it afloat since it commenced in 2017.

“However, we have a challenge of LCs who endorse non-residents at the expense of genuine residents; this is not proper,” Katana cautioned.

(Credit: Colleb Mugume)

(Credit: Colleb Mugume)

The event was also attended by other leaders, such as Mbarara Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Amina Lukanga who is now vying for the Kampala Woman MP seat under the NRM flag.

Several pro-Museveni songs were a dominant fixture on the music menu. The event’s playlist also featured lots of inspirational and gospel songs that portrayed the spiritual growth of the transformed youths who have had a bitter start in life from criminality who have, in less than a year, reformed into God-fearing and skilled craftsmen and women.

Some of these include 32-year-old Dan Muhire, a Mulago resident studying electronic and phone repair, with a specialty in satellite dish installation.

“Before I joined skilling, I had completed Senior Four but was idle and with no hope at all, but ever since I joined here I can repair a phone and ably install a dish, I can easily earn about sh30,000 from phone repairs,” he said with a glimmer of hope in his baritone voice.

Cosmetology students showcase their skills at Mulago skilling centre. (PHOTO BY COLLEB MUGUME)

Students showcase their skills attained in hairdressing at Mulago skilling Centre. (Credit: Colleb Mugume)

Two of his course mates, Patricia Sylvia, 19, who had dropped out of Senior Three in 2023 due to financial challenges at home, alongside Prossy Nakuti, 20, are both transformed young women. The pair are part of a team that made a fridge from plywood, which even has a deep freezer section.

Patricia says the fridge was made as a prototype and was completed within a fortnight (two weeks).

“We use unwanted materials; it has cooling tubes made from copper and a compressor that heats the gas and sends it to the dryer filter,” Nakuti explained the refrigeration process.

The duo of budding electronics engineers said such a product can cost sh200,000 and can be painted any colour that suits the clients’ preferences.

Martha Atuhaire, 24, an embroidery student, joined the skilling centre after completing her degree in Industrial Fine Art at Makerere University.

Embroidery students showcase their designed products at Mulago Skilling Centre on Monday 3 March, 2025. (Credit: Colleb Mugume)

“We work with embroidery machines to make African shirts, bridal wear and gowns that cost sh1m, changing dresses that cost sh500,000 and duvets that range between sh100,000-500,000,” she explained.

Mulago Centre guild president, Michael Bamwin, exhibited a smart electric switch, which can be activated using the mere touch of a finger or an app.

Despite drizzles dampening the occasion, the event came to life when various students testified with their emotionally chilling testimonies of thug life to redemption. A medley of traditional dance troupes lit up the stage with cultural dances from Ankole, Bugisu, Acholi and Buganda.

Katana said the Mulago Skilling Centre is the most populated of the nine. It has 783 students who have registered for exams due in March. 

Plumbing students show the guests some of their works including a water fountain. (Credit: Colleb Mugume)

One of the skilling courses, recycling and value addition, taught by Norah Namanya, who is nicknamed “Queen of Tyres”, says this skill comprises turning old tyres into usable items such as wall clocks, interior decorations, tyre sofa sets, and children’s seats, among other items.



According to Namanya, the 2024/25 intake in recycling skills enrolled 148 students from three centres: Mulago, Kikoni and Wabigalo.

“The purpose of this skill is to manage inorganic waste, create jobs for ghetto youth by utilising limited resources and transforming their mindset by solving the problem of destroying expensive roads when these tyres are burnt,” Namanya told this publication.

She believes that recycling tyres as a new skill has changed the community’s perception of waste / old tyres, which are now viewed as “gold”.

At least 11 of 15 bouquet of skilling courses are taught at the Mulago Centre, including hairdressing, weaving, welding, tailoring, motor vehicle mechanics, plumbing, building, carpentry, electric installation, knitting, shoe making and embroidery as well as bakery (confectionery).