By Our Staff Reporter

Monday, July 27, 2026.
The Government, through State House, has invested Shs1 billion in a modern value-addition facility at the Sebei Zonal Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub in Kween District, a move aimed at increasing farmers’ incomes, reducing post-harvest losses, and accelerating agro-industrialisation in the Sebei sub-region.

The newly established facility comprises a maize milling plant, an animal feed processing unit, and grain storage silos, all imported from China. The equipment has successfully completed initial testing and is expected to process maize, soya, and other grains produced across the region.

The investment is part of the Government’s broader expansion of the Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub Programme, an initiative introduced by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to equip vulnerable and unemployed youth with practical vocational skills while promoting wealth creation through industrialisation.

Speaking during a stakeholders’ engagement on the progress of the Sebei Zonal Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub on Friday, Eng. Raymond Kamugisha, Director of Projects and Presidential Industrial Hubs at State House, said the Government had invested at least Shs1 billion in each of the 11 selected hubs where value-addition facilities are being established.

Representing the State House Comptroller, Ms. Jane Barekye, Eng. Kamugisha said the facilities are designed to transform agriculture from subsistence farming into commercially viable enterprises capable of generating higher household incomes.

He noted that Sebei was selected because of its strong maize production and growing livestock sector. According to him, the milling plant can process up to 10 tonnes of grain per day, while the newly installed silos have a storage capacity of 500 metric tonnes.

Beyond processing agricultural produce, the facility will also serve as a training centre where farmers will acquire skills in proper post-harvest handling, grain storage, and quality management to minimise losses and improve the competitiveness of Ugandan agricultural products.

Eng. Kamugisha added that the animal feed processing unit will reduce Uganda’s dependence on imported livestock feeds by enabling local production using raw materials sourced within the country.

He further revealed plans to establish a Four-Acre Model demonstration farm at the hub to train surrounding communities in modern commercial agriculture. The demonstration farm will showcase enterprises including coffee, bananas, beef cattle, and other high-value agricultural ventures suitable for the Sebei region.

State House also plans to establish a Common User Production Facility, where graduates of the industrial hub and members of the surrounding community will access shared machinery and production space to manufacture goods on a commercial scale.

To support the expansion, Eng. Kamugisha appealed to leaders in Kapchorwa Municipality to provide at least five acres of land for workshops, production units, and hostels to accommodate trainees and entrepreneurs.

Local leaders welcomed the Government’s investment, describing it as a significant step towards transforming both youth employment and agriculture in the region.

Kapchorwa District Youth Chairperson Fadir Satya said the Presidential Industrial Skilling Hubs have the potential to become a catalyst for Uganda’s economic transformation by equipping young people with practical skills while extending benefits to farming communities through value addition.

Meanwhile, Justine Yeko, Chairperson of the Sebei Zonal Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub Governing Committee and Kapchorwa District Commercial Officer, revealed that the hub has so far trained approximately 1,200 young people.

She also disclosed that the Government had injected Shs200 million into four SACCOs supporting graduates from the hub, with Kapchorwa Municipality, Kapchorwa District, Kween, and Bukwo each receiving Shs50 million. While the SACCOs have enabled many beneficiaries to start businesses, only about 200 graduates have so far accessed the available funds.

Yeko appealed for additional funding to ensure more graduates benefit from the programme, noting that increased financial support would enable more young people to establish sustainable enterprises and improve their livelihoods.

The latest investment underscores the Government’s commitment to expanding the Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub Programme beyond vocational training by integrating agro-processing, value addition, and commercial production as key drivers of Uganda’s socio-economic transformation.