HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I A licence fees waiver of six months has been ordered to enable all the graduates from the Presidential Skilling Initiative to gain momentum in their new enterprises, officials have said.
Geoffrey Sserwadda, the Assistant Resident City Commissioner for Kampala, said if foreign investors can be given a grace period before they begin paying taxes, why can’t we do this for our very own citizens?
“That’s why we urgently need a license fees waiver for all Kampala-based entrepreneurs who graduate from the Presidential Initiative on Skilling the Girl/Boy Child (PISGBC),” he said.
He made these remarks on Wednesday 26th February, 2025 at Nakulabye Skilling Centre, one of the nine centres in Kampala during the showcasing of the students’ work after six months of free training.
He said he had talks with Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and other district leaders regarding this issue and pledged his support to rescue any alumni of the PISGBC from detention centres if he or she gets arrested by KCCA officials over unpaid licences.
Sserwadda said in the past, students used to get start-up capital and financial support of sh1m but this offer was retracted by State House after many of the graduates misused the capital to buy smartphones and other luxury items at the expense of their budding enterprises.
Dr. Faith Mirembe Katana, the Special Presidential Assistant on Skilling and Education and Head of PISGBC project, said the nine skilling centres within Kampala are each hosting showcasing events in their various centres with each centre scheduled to exhibit its students’ products within two weeks.
Ms. Joyce Athieno, who heads the Nakulabye centre said her centre which started the current intake on August 5, 2024, after conducting registration in July last year (2024), enrolled a total number of 430 students in various courses such as tailoring (138), hairdressing (145), Knitting attracted 42 students, all male, while embroidery had 46 students.
Former gangsters
Chris Kakeeto, the Guild President of Nakulabye Skilling Centre who confessed to have been a gangster and a thief before joining the centre, noted that he is now a transformed person who now earns a living through skilling.
“We now produce shoes, I no longer have time for crime,” he said.
According to Kakeeto, his gang consisted of about five thugs, who had all enrolled but due to expenses beyond their means like daily transport to attend the course some dropped out.
His friend Morris Nsubuga also testified: “Initially my motive for joining this programme was to come and steal sewing machines and phones from students, but I don’t know how I got transformed. I am now a born-again Christian. I commend our counsellors. They have done a commendable job.”
