local news 2 September 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Buikwe Residents Await Long-Delayed Vocational Institute Promised by President Museveni
For over a decade, residents of Nyenga Division in Buikwe District have been waiting for a vocational training institute that President Yoweri Museveni pledged in 2014. The project, intended to boost skills and employment for local youth, has faced delays attributed to disagreements over naming and slow government action. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/buikwe-residents-wait-10-years-for-museveni-vocational-institute-pledge-5580568
Residents of Nyenga Division, Njeru Municipality, in Buikwe District, are still hoping for the fulfillment of a decade-old promise made by President Yoweri Museveni. The President had pledged to establish a vocational training institute in the area during the burial of the late Sam Peter Kitaka, a prominent National Resistance Movement supporter and former LCIII chairman of Nyenga sub-county.
Kitaka was recognized for his strong support of President Museveni, notably presenting the President with a traditional grinding stone, ‘olubengo’, during the 1996 campaigns, which became a symbol of strength. The pledge for the institute was made in 2014 as a tribute to Kitaka’s contributions, with the aim of equipping the local youth with practical skills and improving employment opportunities in a region with limited educational infrastructure.
Despite the initial enthusiasm, the project has stalled, with reports suggesting that disagreements between government officials and Kitaka’s family regarding the proposed name of the institute contributed to the delays. Mr. Moses Waiswa, the LCIII chairperson of Nyenga Division, confirmed that the institute remains a significant concern for the community, who frequently inquire about its status.
Leaders argue that such an institute is crucial for addressing youth unemployment and providing alternatives to fishing and subsistence farming, which are the primary livelihoods in Nyenga. The establishment of the institute could offer training in trades like carpentry, tailoring, welding, mechanics, IT, and agriculture. This issue was recently brought to the forefront by Ms. Diana Mutasingwa, State Minister in the Office of the Vice President and Buikwe Woman MP, who reminded the President of his pledge during Labour Day celebrations in 2026.
The need for vocational training is underscored by the presence of numerous factories in the growing industrial sector of Njeru Municipality, which require skilled workers. Currently, the nearest government vocational institute is in Kayunga, and private institutions in Njeru are often too expensive for many local families. The delayed institute represents a lost opportunity for many young people who complete their basic education but cannot afford further studies or find suitable employment.