Communities in the Bunyoro sub-region have welcomed the expansion of Presidential Zonal Industrial Skilling Hubs with value addition projects, describing the move as a significant step toward reducing poverty and improving household incomes.
The upgrades at the Greater Bunyoro Presidential Zonal Industrial Skilling Hub include the installation of a maize milling plant, an animal feeds processing unit, and modern grain storage silos. The new facilities are expected to enhance productivity and increase the value of agricultural produce from local farmers.
The development builds on the success of the skilling hubs programme spearheaded by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, which has already equipped thousands of young people with practical vocational skills. Authorities say value addition projects have now been rolled out in 11 of the 19 hubs across the country to enable communities to earn more from their produce.
State House Comptroller Jane Barekye has overseen initial test runs of the newly installed equipment in Bunyoro to verify operational efficiency ahead of full-scale production. The machinery, sourced from China, has passed preliminary tests.
According to Eng. Raymond Kamugisha, Director of Presidential Projects and Industrial Hubs at State House, government has invested at least Shs 1 billion in each hub implementing value addition initiatives.
“Value addition is being implemented in 11 hubs nationwide. This is a major investment, and communities must take full advantage of these facilities to improve their livelihoods,” he said.
He noted that Bunyoro’s strong maize production and livestock sector informed the decision to prioritize a maize mill and animal feed processing plant in the region. Government, he added, plans to further invest in the programme to establish a complete grain value chain.
National Coordinator for Value Addition, Edmond Ndyaremwaki, said the Bunyoro hub will soon add coffee processing equipment to diversify production. The maize milling facility alone has the capacity to process up to 1,000 tonnes daily.
Similar installations have been completed in hubs located in Mubende, Adjumani, and Kween, with plans underway to establish rice milling facilities in Kasese and the Bukedi sub-region.
Following successful test runs, Barekye commended the initiative and urged communities to utilise the infrastructure to maximise its benefits.
Officials say maize flour produced at the Bunyoro hub has already been branded as a premium product under the Presidential Industrial Hubs initiative, marking a shift toward higher-quality, market-ready outputs.
Bunyoro Hub Manager Scovia Turyahebwa said the new facilities will provide a reliable market for farmers, create employment opportunities, and enable produce storage while awaiting favourable prices.
“For years, farmers have sold raw maize at low prices due to limited processing capacity. This project will address that challenge and also improve the quality and availability of animal feeds,” she said.
She added that the skilling hubs programme has played a key role in tackling youth unemployment, revealing that more than 1,500 youths have been trained at the Bunyoro hub, many of whom are now self-employed or working in various sectors.
To further support graduates, President Museveni has introduced a special grant targeting SACCOs formed by skilling hub alumni, with each district SACCO receiving Shs 50 million to support enterprise development.
As value addition projects expand nationwide, the Presidential Zonal Industrial Skilling Hubs are emerging as key drivers of economic transformation, linking skills development to income generation and strengthening agriculture-based livelihoods.
