WAKISO — The Manager of the Office of the National Chairman (ONC) and Senior Presidential Advisor on Political Affairs, Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye, has extended the office’s community empowerment programme to Bbandwe Cell in Kyengera Town Council, Wakiso District, distributing start-up equipment and agricultural inputs to unemployed youth, women and other vulnerable residents.
The beneficiaries received various items, including popcorn machines, sewing machines, hair dryers, shaving machines, salon accessories, high-yield maize and bean seeds, fertilisers and selected pesticides to support small businesses and agricultural activities.
The empowerment exercise took place during a thanksgiving ceremony organised by Bbandwe Cell LC1 Chairperson, Mr Tawetwa Ezekiel Nakalya, and was aimed at helping residents establish income-generating ventures, improve household incomes and become economically self-reliant.
Addressing beneficiaries, Ms Namyalo urged them to put the equipment and agricultural inputs to productive use, noting that the support was intended to create sustainable sources of income rather than encourage dependence on handouts.
She also challenged local leaders to maintain close contact with their communities, identify challenges affecting residents and lobby for interventions that respond to their economic needs.
“It is our responsibility as leaders to improve the livelihoods of our people,” she said, emphasising the importance of translating leadership into practical improvements in people’s lives.
The engagement also provided an opportunity for residents to raise concerns affecting their livelihoods, with delayed Parish Development Model (PDM) disbursements, restrictions on charcoal trade and poor road infrastructure among the issues highlighted.
On the PDM programme, Ms Namyalo sought an explanation from Henry Luzinda, the ONC Coordinator for Wakiso District, regarding delays in the release of funds to some intended beneficiaries.
Mr Luzinda told the gathering that the parish had 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 following corruption concerns, while the newly elected leadership had not yet been entered into the programme’s system.
He said the outstanding funds would be distributed once the new leadership team had been uploaded onto the system.
The charcoal restrictions also featured prominently during the discussion, with Ms Namyalo expressing concern about their economic implications for ordinary citizens whose livelihoods depend on charcoal-related activities.
She said government consultations on the matter were ongoing and urged affected residents to remain patient as authorities considered the concerns and possible solutions.
On infrastructure, Ms Namyalo raised concerns over delays in the Nateete-Kasenge Road project, noting that poor road conditions continued to inconvenience residents and affect economic activities.
She informed the gathering that the new Minister of Works and Transport, Byamukama, was following up on the project to ensure progress.
In a separate intervention, Ms Namyalo handed over sewing machines to the LC1 chairperson to facilitate vocational training for girls and women in tailoring and other practical skills.
She explained that the equipment would enable local leaders to train women and girls in marketable skills before extending further business support to those who successfully complete the training.
Ms Namyalo pledged to return for a larger empowerment exercise targeting graduates of the programme who would be ready to establish their own income-generating ventures.
The approach, she said, was intended to connect skills development with practical economic opportunities.
Kyengera NRM Chairperson Geoffrey Ssebagala commended Ms Namyalo for engaging grassroots leaders and visiting communities to understand the challenges affecting residents.
He also praised Mr Luzinda for his mobilisation efforts during the 2026 general elections, crediting him with helping coordinate NRM mobilisation activities across Wakiso District.
Mr Ssebagala claimed that the NRM secured three parliamentary seats in the district and won in 650 of Wakiso’s 730 villages during the elections.
Mr Nakalya, who hosted the thanksgiving ceremony, thanked Ms Namyalo for honouring his invitation and extending the empowerment initiative to residents.
“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 provide residents with opportunities to establish small businesses, generate income and improve the welfare of their families.
The visit builds on Ms 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 community empowerment activities seek to extend practical economic support to grassroots communities, particularly unemployed youth, women and vulnerable groups, through access to productive equipment, agricultural inputs and skills development.
The interventions are intended to help beneficiaries establish income-generating activities, strengthen household livelihoods and participate in wealth creation.