Museveni was in Bushenyi District where he presided over the graduation of 756 girls trained in various vocational courses, under the tutelage of the Woman MP and Hon Karooro Okurut. He commended Hon Karooro for the initiative and for bringing trainers from Kampala to help the girls get various skills. Continued by saying his guidance is that the skills should look at critical service provision and import substitution.
you look at yourselves right now, do you ask where those clothes you are dressed in come from? Most come from outside Uganda. That means you are offering money and jobs to people outside Uganda.
On import substitution, Bushenyi for example, is rich in hides and skins. Once we acquire skills like leather tanning, we shall be able to save $54 million that we spend annually on importation of leather products.
Museveni also toured Swazi Highland Tea Company Limited in Kisingo village, Kyamuhunga Sub-county owned by Africano Bakahwenkyi. The factory contributes a lot by produces 50 tons of tea daily and provides employement to over 300 staff.
He also commissioned Global Village Tea of Hassan Bassajabala. The factory mentioned is believed to be employing over 600 workers and can produce up to 20,000kgs of tea a day in a peak season. Where 60% of raw material for production is purchased from out growers and 40% is produced by the factory’s tea estate.
Bakahwenkyi and Bassajabala were praised by Yoweri for their understanding and implementing of the gospel of wealth creation. Tea production has gone up. From one factory, you can now get the total tonnage of the amount of tea Uganda used to produce when the NRM had just come into power.
Later on He visited Bushenyi Demonstration Farm in Mazinga village. Edmond Bashasha, the farm manager, said the facility has been used to teach the youth how to implement the four-acre model of farming and also provided inputs such as seedlings, poultry and cattle.
The president also donated a truck to the farm to help the youth transport their produce such as eggs to the various markets including the Democratic Republic of Congo.
