By Swift Reporter
The Office of the National Chairman (ONC) Manager and Senior Presidential Advisor on Political Affairs, Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye, has empowered youth groups, women groups and persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Bbandwe Cell, Kasenge Ward, Kyengera Town Council, Wakiso District, with start-up equipment and agricultural inputs to support income-generating activities and improve household livelihoods.
The empowerment drive was held during a thanksgiving ceremony organised by the area’s LC1 Chairperson, Mr Tawetwa Ezekiel Nakalya, and targeted unemployed young people, women and other vulnerable residents with practical tools to help them establish businesses and become economically self-reliant.
Items distributed included popcorn machines, sewing machines, hair dryers, shaving machines, salon accessories, high-yield maize and bean seeds, fertilisers and selected pesticides.
Addressing beneficiaries, Namyalo urged them to put the equipment and agricultural inputs to productive use, saying the support was intended to help them create sustainable sources of income rather than remain dependent on handouts.
She also challenged local leaders to remain connected to their communities, identify people’s challenges and lobby for interventions that directly improve their livelihoods.
“It is our responsibility as leaders to improve the livelihoods of our people,” she said, emphasising that people-centred leadership should translate into practical improvements in the lives of ordinary citizens.
The gathering also provided an opportunity for residents to present some of the challenges affecting their livelihoods, with delayed Parish Development Model (PDM) disbursements, the charcoal ban and poor road infrastructure featuring prominently.
On the PDM concerns, Namyalo questioned the progress of the programme in the area and sought clarification from Henry Luzinda, the ONC Coordinator for Wakiso District, on why some intended beneficiaries had not received their funds.
Luzinda explained that the parish had so far received Shs100 million under the programme, of which Shs50 million had been disbursed, while the remaining Shs50 million was awaiting distribution.
He attributed the delay to changes in the parish PDM leadership structure, explaining that the previous committee had been disbanded over corruption concerns and a newly elected team was yet to be entered into the programme’s system.
He assured residents that once the new leadership team was uploaded onto the system, the outstanding funds would be released for distribution to beneficiaries.
On the charcoal ban, Namyalo expressed concern about its impact on ordinary citizens whose livelihoods depend on charcoal-related activities, adding her voice to calls for authorities to consider the economic realities facing affected communities.
She said the government was undertaking consultations on the matter and urged residents to remain patient as authorities reviewed the restrictions and considered possible solutions.
Namyalo also questioned delays surrounding the Nateete-Kasenge Road project, saying poor road infrastructure continued to inconvenience residents and affect economic activities in the area.
She informed residents that the new Minister of Works and Transport, Byamukama, was following up on the project to ensure progress.
Hajjat Namyalo also said sewing machines were handed over to LC1 chairperson to facilitate the training of girls and women in tailoring and other practical skills.
Namyalo explained that the machines were intended to help local leaders equip women and girls with vocational skills before they receive further business support.
She said she would return for a bigger empowerment exercise to support those who successfully complete the training and are ready to establish their own income-generating ventures.
At the same event, Kyengera NRM Chairperson Geoffrey Ssebagala commended Namyalo for consistently engaging grassroots leaders and visiting communities to understand their challenges and pursue practical solutions.
He also praised Luzinda for his mobilisation efforts during the 2026 general elections, crediting him with helping NRM candidates and supporters mobilise across Wakiso District.
Ssebagala claimed that the district secured three NRM parliamentary seats and that the party won in 650 of Wakiso’s 730 villages during the elections.
Nakalya, who hosted the thanksgiving ceremony, thanked Namyalo for honouring his invitation and extending the empowerment initiative to residents of his area.
“Thank you, Hajjat Namyalo, for always thinking about our local communities. If President Museveni had 50 Namyalos in Uganda, we would have gone far,” he said.
He said the equipment would give residents an opportunity to start small businesses, generate income and improve the welfare of their families.
The visit also builds on Namyalo’s previous engagement with economic actors in the wider Kasenge area. On June 25, 2026, she met khat (mayirungi) farmers from Kasenge and Ssisa in Wakiso District, who raised concerns about irrigation, security, taxation and access to agricultural inputs.
The ONC’s grassroots empowerment activities are aimed at extending practical economic support to communities, particularly unemployed youth, women and vulnerable groups, to help them participate in income-generating activities and improve household incomes.