By KT Reporter
The State House Comptroller has postponed the reporting dates for the 5th and 6th intakes of the Presidential Industrial Hubs Youth Skilling Program, just a day before the trainees were expected to report. In a notice dated April 28, 2026, and signed by Engineer Raymond Kamugisha Akankwatsa on behalf of the State House Comptroller, the government informed chairpersons of the 19 zonal industrial hubs that the scheduled opening on Thursday, April 30, 2026, had been deferred.
The communication cited “upcoming national events” as the reason for the postponement. Although no new reporting date was provided, the State House said successful applicants and the public would be informed in due course. The postponement comes amid a busy political transition period, with the presidential inauguration expected on May 12, followed by the swearing-in of Members of Parliament beginning May 13, 2026.
Local government leaders at district, city, and municipal levels are also expected to assume office during the same period. The Presidential Industrial Hubs Program was conceptualized in 2020 and later rolled out across the country between 2022 and 2023 under the Presidential Initiative on Youth Skilling. The program is implemented by the State House in collaboration with local government structures as part of efforts to tackle youth unemployment, promote value addition, reduce poverty, and support Uganda’s industrialization agenda.
It mainly targets youth aged between 18 and 35 years who dropped out of formal education and equips them with practical vocational skills for self-employment and job creation. President Yoweri Museveni has repeatedly promoted the initiative as a tool for reducing dependence on imported finished products through the “Buy Uganda, Build Uganda” policy.
The industrial hubs also support value addition by training youth in trades such as welding and metal fabrication, carpentry and joinery, bakery and confectionery, building and construction, tailoring and garment design, hairdressing, and leather design. The government says more than 93,000 youth have already benefited from the program since its inception through the previous four intakes. The latest recruitment exercise attracted 5,000 successful applicants following a nationwide call for applications issued in March this year.
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