The government has launched a plan to industrialize the artisan economy to boost import substitution, a key pillar of President Yoweri Museveni’s manifesto.
During a nationwide tour of Parish Development Model beneficiaries, Museveni pledged increased support for artisan groups. This includes purchasing land for those in rented spaces, building warehouses and showrooms, and providing modern machinery and transport vehicles.
Dr. Hilary Musoke Kisanja, senior presidential adviser on agribusiness, said the president directed officials to acquire land, procure tools and inject 100 million shillings in additional capital per group.
Kisanja said the plan is expected to be implemented after the election campaigns. He noted that the president wants to stop Uganda from remaining a market for imported products.
The goal is to make Uganda a specialized country for value addition to its raw materials, Kisanja said. He added that the president is building a force of young industrialists to transform Uganda into an exporting economy.
The initiative falls under the Presidential Initiative on Artisans and the Common User Facilities Programme, launched in 2015. The program aims to protect artisans from exploitative moneylenders.
Kisanja said the intervention has reduced production costs. Previously, artisans spent more than 30,000 shillings to clean timber in local workshops. With new machinery, that cost has dropped to less than 5,000 shillings.
The president has procured machinery for groups in areas such as Najeera, Banda, Kireka, Katwe and Bwaise. These groups received equipment worth between 800 million and 1.2 billion shillings each.
Edward Bruno Tebandeke, who oversees the facility in Kagoma, said his group received 50 million shillings in seed capital and various heavy machines. He said the facility started with 50 participants and has since trained more than 300 youth.
Other members, including Annette Phiona Nakate and Moses Luyimbaazi, noted that while the program has helped launch businesses, current funding remains insufficient as membership grows. They urged the president to fulfill pledges for additional capital.
