Kayiira gets presidential visit upon modifying car

SKILLING

Today youths look at hands-on skills as a waste of time, but those with such skills can testify that hands-on skills are more relevant to the job market than any other skills that people have.

Moses Kayiira a mechanic and innovator is one of those youths whose life has been changed by the hands-on skills in mechanics.

Kayiira a proprietor of a car he named Uganda one and later modified it into Uganda two has earned quite a number of mechanical projects that have improved his wellbeing.

Last week he was visited by his Excellency Yoweri Museveni, the President of Uganda.

Who is Kayiira

Kayiira is a Ugandan who is passionate about cars and even when he didn't make it in school, he decided to settle for hands-on skills in mechanics a skill that has made him popular.

He is one of those creative and innovative Ugandans who made a car and named it Uganda 1. Later he modified it into a pick-up and named it Uganda two. He has currently transformed it that the President picked interest in it and wants to buy the car from Kayiira.

His creativity and passion for mechanics have won him several awards. He is also one of those skilling Makindye youths in mechanics.

How he started making a car

At the age of 19, he started learning the skill of repairing cars at a motor garage in Katwe. His boss then was Denis Mukambwe who noticed his passion for cars and usually paid more attention to Kayiira.

Through his boss, he was recommended for further training in motor vehicle mechanics in Black Ban College in London where he was skilled in how cars can be made.

A year later, he returned to Uganda and started practicing what he had learned. After trying out several projects in mechanics, he then decided to embark on a journey of making a car.

In 2010, he started making Uganda one. He sourced for materials from several places like for the car body; he used iron sheets from Uganda Baati, and engine parts he picked from other car parts.

Today he feels he has done enough and the car is in good condition to be driven on Ugandan roads.

Skilling youths

Kayira doesn't only do mechanics work but also skills youth with mechanical skills, so they can create their own employment and fight poverty.

Julius Mubezi, a mechanical engineer graduate is currently enrolled for hands-on training in mechanics at Bakayiira training academy just to get more skills in how to handle motor vehicles.

Mubezi says he graduated in 2016 but when he joined the working field, he realized he didn't have the relevant skills for his job. He had been given more theoretical skills than practical ones.

It's for this reason that he has enrolled for pure practical skills so that he can save his career in motor vehicle mechanics.

Experts say Mubezi is just one of those graduates who know what they want and have taken a step to get what they lack to better their skills.

Shillingi Mwesigye the principle of Lugogo vocational training institute says if all youths paid attention to the things they are passionate about, they would not be crying of poverty.

Mwesigye notes that hands-on skills are relevant for a growing economy and its time youth look forward to getting hands-on skills to narrow the poverty gap in the country.