Vice President Jessica Alupo has called on every Ugandan household to embrace at least one income-generating enterprise within the four key sectors of commercial agriculture, industry, services and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a way of eliminating poverty and unemployment.
She noted that the idea of economic specialization is not new, explaining that it dates back to pre-colonial times when communities were highly productive.
“Before colonialism, our ancestors developed a system of a productive society by encouraging every member to belong to at least one emyooga (area of specialization). There were Abaheesi (blacksmiths), Ababaizi (carpenters), Abanogoozi (clay workers), Abakomagyi (bark-cloth makers) and Abatanagyi (bow and arrow makers), among others,” Alupo said.
The Vice President made the remarks on behalf of President Yoweri Museveni during the commissioning of the Sam Owori Skilling Hub in Tororo Municipality, Tororo District, on December 18, 2025.
The hub was constructed in memory of the late Rotary International President-elect Sam Owori, who passed away in the United States in 2017 while undergoing surgery.
Alupo emphasized that since 1986, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) has consistently advocated for every adult Ugandan to have omwoga—an economic activity that earns income.
On behalf of government, she thanked development partners for supporting the establishment of the skilling hub, describing it as a transformative initiative aligned with Uganda’s socio-economic transformation agenda. The partners include Rotary Club of Innsbruck Alpin (Austria), Rotary Club of Kampala, Rotary Districts 1920 and 9213, the Rotary Foundation, Habitat for Humanity Uganda, Start Somewhere, PERI Group, PACODEF, Tororo Youth Initiative for Professional Development, Build Me, and the Zefania and Mary Ochieng Trust, which donated land for the project.
The Vice President commended Rotary Clubs for working with the NRM government to extend social services in health, education and other sectors.
She further underscored the importance of vocational training in transforming Uganda’s human resource base, noting that Presidential Skilling Hubs across the country are equipping youth with practical skills such as shoe-making, knitting, weaving, furniture making, food and fruit processing, stone cutting, jewelry making, leather tanning, electronics assembly, textile production and herbal medicine processing.
“The focus of the skilling hubs is to transform the youth from a liability into an asset. Our four-sector economy—commercial agriculture, manufacturing, services and ICT—will absorb our active population to produce goods and services for import substitution and export promotion,” Alupo said.
She revealed that government is prioritizing industrialization to reduce excessive imports of items that can be competitively produced locally.
“When we import what we can produce here, we donate both money and jobs to foreigners, leaving our children unemployed. More industries mean more jobs and more taxes for development,” she added.
Alupo also called for renewed youth participation in agriculture and manufacturing to curb imports of textiles, leather goods, beverages, electronics, iron and steel, noting that many of these products can be made locally.
She praised the people of Tororo for promoting unity and peaceful coexistence between the Iteso and Japadhola communities, and commended the Kwar Adhola, Stephen Moses Owor, for working closely with government to drive socio-economic transformation in Padhola.
In his remarks, the Kwar Adhola thanked government and development partners for supporting the construction and equipping of the Sam Owori Skilling Hub, saying it will play a critical role in addressing youth unemployment through vocational training. He also appreciated the Ochieng family for donating land for the facility.
Tororo Municipality Member of Parliament Apollo Yeri described the skilling hub as a key development milestone whose impact on skills development must be protected.
Meanwhile, Dr. Tanga Odoi, Chairperson of the NRM Electoral Commission, lauded Vice President Alupo for her outstanding contribution to the development of Tororo District.
