KAMPALA — The Manager of the Office of the National Chairman (ONC), Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye, has returned to Katwe to assess the progress of Kyomugisha Babra, a single mother who recently received support through the ONC empowerment programme after her plight came to light during voter register verification activities ahead of the Local Council I elections.
The visit was aimed at following up on the support extended to the family and evaluating how the intervention has impacted their livelihood.
Kyomugisha’s situation first drew public attention after a video circulating on social media highlighted the difficult conditions under which she and her children were living. During the National Resistance Movement (NRM) village committee voters’ register display exercise in Katwe, Hajjat Namyalo encountered Kyomugisha, who emotionally narrated the hardships she had endured while struggling to raise her children without a stable source of income.
According to Kyomugisha, she often went for days without enough food and found it increasingly difficult to provide basic necessities for her family. She also explained that her children’s education had been affected by financial constraints, noting that while school fees amounted to Shs150,000, she could sometimes only raise Shs3,000, leaving the children at risk of dropping out of school.
Moved by her circumstances, Hajjat Namyalo immediately provided startup capital to enable Kyomugisha to establish a small business and earn a sustainable income. She said the support was intended to help the mother become self-reliant and improve the welfare of her family rather than depend on charitable assistance.
After personally visiting the makeshift shelter where the family had been living, Hajjat Namyalo further facilitated their relocation to a self-contained house, with rent paid for one year. The new home was furnished with essential household items, including a mattress, blankets, clothing, food supplies and other necessities to help the family settle into a safer and more dignified environment.
During her follow-up visit on Thursday, Hajjat Namyalo found the family adjusting well to their new home. She encouraged Kyomugisha to manage the business capital prudently and remain focused on building a stable future for her children through hard work and financial discipline.
She reiterated that the Office of the National Chairman remains committed to supporting vulnerable Ugandans through empowerment initiatives that promote self-reliance, household income generation and improved livelihoods.
Speaking after the visit, Kyomugisha expressed gratitude for the support she received, saying it had restored hope to her family.
“I had almost lost hope because life had become extremely difficult. Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo gave me another chance by helping me secure a decent home and providing capital to start a business. My children and I now have hope for a better future, and I will work hard to make good use of this opportunity,” she said.
The Office of the National Chairman has in recent years continued to implement empowerment initiatives targeting vulnerable groups, including women, youth and low-income households, with the aim of promoting sustainable livelihoods and supporting government efforts to combat poverty.