KAMPALA – Beneficiaries of the Office of the National Chairman (ONC) Empowerment Initiative have credited the programme with improving their livelihoods, citing increased business opportunities, higher household incomes and better prospects for their families.
The beneficiaries, drawn from different parts of Greater Luwero, made the remarks during a courtesy visit to the ONC Manager and Senior Presidential Advisor on Political Affairs, Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye, at her office in Kyambogo.
Led by Greater Luwero Regional Coordinator Wasswa Tamale Abdukarim, the delegation shared experiences of how start-up equipment, livestock and other productive assets received under the initiative had helped them establish and expand income-generating activities.
One of the beneficiaries, Hakim Sevire from Luwero Town Council, said the support had enabled him to expand his poultry enterprise from an initial 200 chickens to approximately 500.
Sevire recalled receiving chickens during Namyalo’s empowerment activities in Zirobwe Town Council, adding that the intervention had given him an opportunity to grow his business and improve his livelihood.
“You have been a mother to everyone ever since you came into this office. You have not only talked about empowering people but have also reached out to us and given us the tools to improve our lives,” he said.
He thanked President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for appointing Namyalo, saying the ONC Manager’s grassroots engagements had helped extend economic opportunities to ordinary Ugandans.
Another beneficiary, Kavuma Twaha, a farmer engaged in cattle rearing and poultry farming in Bamunanika Constituency, said the initiative had provided him with an opportunity to strengthen his agricultural activities and support his family.
Twaha praised Namyalo for maintaining contact with communities and championing practical interventions aimed at improving household incomes.
Kirungi Aisha, a poultry farmer, also expressed gratitude for the support, saying it had enabled her to participate in productive economic activities and contribute to her family’s welfare.
Nakafero Florence, who received goats under the programme, similarly commended Namyalo for extending support to ordinary people at the grassroots.
Beneficiaries call for continued support
During the meeting, Nakaseke Town Council NRM Chairperson Karungi Yunusu Kabuzi praised Namyalo’s grassroots engagement, urging her to remain focused despite criticism.
He compared her leadership to a productive tree that attracts attention because of the fruits it bears, saying beneficiaries were witnessing the impact of the empowerment interventions in their communities.
Kabuzi also appealed to the government to prioritise road infrastructure in the Luwero Corridor, particularly the Kisuule-Kapeeka Road, Zirobwe-Kikyusa and Bamugolodde routes.
He said improving the roads would ease transportation, promote trade and support economic activities among residents.
The Greater Luwero Regional Coordinator, Wasswa Tamale Abdukarim, asked President Museveni to continue supporting the ONC, arguing that its grassroots engagements had helped communicate government programmes and extend empowerment opportunities to communities.
He said beneficiaries across the region appreciated the interventions, adding that the support had enabled some residents to establish businesses and improve their household incomes.
Namyalo urges beneficiaries to put support to productive use
In her response, Namyalo thanked the beneficiaries for making productive use of the resources they had received, urging them to remain committed to growing their businesses.
She emphasised that the purpose of the empowerment initiative was not merely to distribute equipment and livestock but to help recipients build sustainable sources of income and improve their families’ welfare.
“Thank you for being hardworking and productive. If you do not work, you are killing the future of your children. I am so grateful and proud that, at least, I have tried to change the lives of some people,” Namyalo said.
She encouraged beneficiaries to embrace government wealth creation programmes and take responsibility for growing their enterprises rather than depending entirely on handouts.
Namyalo also explained that some of the empowerment resources were secured through engagements with well-wishers outside government and State House who were willing to support initiatives aimed at improving people’s livelihoods.
She assured individuals who had been identified for assistance but had not yet received their empowerment items that efforts were underway to ensure they also benefited.
The ONC Manager reaffirmed her commitment to supporting President Museveni’s socio-economic transformation agenda through continued community engagement and mobilisation for wealth creation.
About the ONC Empowerment Initiative
Introduced in 2023, the ONC Empowerment Initiative seeks to promote household wealth creation by providing individuals and communities with practical resources to establish income-generating activities.
Beneficiaries have received various forms of start-up equipment and productive assets, including welding machines, salon equipment, hair dryers, chickens, goats and other livestock.
The programme complements the government’s broader poverty eradication and wealth creation agenda by encouraging households to participate in productive economic activities.
At the end of the visit, the delegation presented Namyalo with assorted gifts, including matooke, chickens, goats and pineapples, in appreciation of her support.