State House to build cold room for meat vendors in Kalerwe

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Senior presidential advisor Moses Byaruhanga has announced that State House will construct a cold storage facility for meat vendors in Kalerwe Market as part of broader efforts to improve working conditions and reduce post-sale losses.

He made the announcement on Sunday, June 29, during the quarterly handover ceremony of the Akaserengeto Savings Group in Kampala, where he also delivered President Yoweri Museveni’s sh20 million pledge to the group.

“We are going to build for you a cold storage room; it will be up to you to decide where we shall put it,” Byaruhanga told over 500 attendees.

Currently, vendors are required to pay sh500 per kilogram each night to preserve unsold meat—an expense State House aims to eliminate through this initiative.

Byaruhanga confirmed that the sh20 million donation had already been deposited into the group’s bank account.

He further revealed plans to introduce subsidised loans for vendors through the Katale Loan Scheme, set to roll out in July under the Microfinance Support Centre (MSC). The loans will carry an annual interest rate of just eight percent.

Boda boda riders are also expected to benefit from this credit scheme. “We shall meet the chairpersons of the various boda boda stages to also benefit from the loan scheme. Many riders will now get a loan without any security. We shall launch it very soon,” Byaruhanga said.

He cautioned against the mismanagement of government funds, citing a recent audit that revealed sh9 billion of the sh18 billion Emyooga funds allocated to Kampala had been misused. He criticised opposition politicians for focusing on attacking the government instead of monitoring public service delivery.

Nelson Ojiambo, vice chairperson of Akaserengeto, noted that the group has grown from just six members in 2020 to over 1,000 today. The event was attended by local leaders, councillors and several State House officials, including Hajjat Shabirah Nassali, the assistant private secretary for women’s affairs.

In a show of solidarity, State House contributed sh1 million to the family of Edward Kabanda Ssentamu, a trader who recently passed away, with Byaruhanga personally donating an additional Shs1 million to support the bereaved family.

Hajji Abdu Mwebesa, a leading hides and skins dealer in Kalerwe, pledged sh5 million to the group and expressed concern over the ban on the export of hides and skins.

He appealed for an exemption on non-leather-grade exports that are consumed as food abroad.

Mwebesa also donated land for the construction of the promised cold room and requested piped water to be installed in the market to support operations.

Hajjat Madinah Nsereko, an aspiring MP for Kawempe South, was lauded for mobilising support for the NRM and for recently procuring 100 plastic chairs for the group.

She expressed gratitude to State House for sponsoring 34 imams to Mecca and requested similar support for Christian pilgrimages to Rome and Israel.

Responding to the export ban concerns, Byaruhanga reiterated that the measure is intended to support Uganda’s leather industry. He stressed that promoting value addition within the country remains a top priority for the NRM government.