The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Mr. Aggrey David Kibenge, has urged ghetto youth in the Busoga sub-region to embrace a positive mindset, discipline and hard work as key pillars for personal and community transformation.
The Permanent Secretary emphasised that mindset change is essential if ghetto youth are to contribute meaningfully to Uganda’s socio- economic transformation.
“If you receive government funding to start or expand a business but instead use it to marry, then the intended purpose of the money is defeated. That is why a positive mindset is very important. You must think positively if you want to succeed,” he said.
Mr. Kibenge made the remarks while addressing participants during the final day of the Busoga Sub-region Ghetto Structure Leaders’ Retreat held on Monday, July 13, 2026, at Bishop Willis Centre in Iganga Municipality.
The three-day retreat, held under the theme “Empowering the Ghettos for a Crime-Free Society,” brought together leaders from 131 ghetto depots across the 11 districts and one city in the Busoga sub-region.
Mr. Kibenge explained that one of the core mandates of the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development is to empower communities such as the ghettos by enabling them to realise their full potential through skills development, increased labour productivity and cultural development.
“We promote gender equality, protect vulnerable groups, create decent jobs and build strong social cohesion for all citizens,” he said.
He encouraged the youth not to lose hope, noting that everyone deserves an opportunity to rebuild their lives.
“We were all created in the image of God. From the beginning, we are equal, and that means we all have the ability to achieve our dreams. Along the way, some of us lose focus and take the wrong path. What we need is another chance to do what is right, and that is why rehabilitation programmes like this are important,” he said.
Mr. Kibenge reminded the participants that the government’s responsibility is to create an enabling environment where citizens can utilise their talents and skills to improve their livelihoods.
“President Museveni has always emphasised that you cannot transform society without transforming people. Development revolves around people, not merely the resources we possess,” he said.
He added that the government is committed to restoring hope, instilling discipline among ghetto communities through their leaders and supporting them to achieve economic transformation.
Speaking about youth development, Mr. Kibenge noted that Uganda’s youthful population requires deliberate planning and investment. “Out of every 100 Ugandans, about 73 are below the age of 30. This means we must plan effectively for the youth. Failure to do so exposes communities to challenges such as poverty,” he said.
He highlighted several government interventions aimed at empowering young people, including Universal Education programmes, the Parish Development Model (PDM), the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP), the Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP) and the Jua Kali initiative.
“Youth like you can access funding through the Youth Livelihood Programme and invest collectively. Those in the creative industry are also supported. Last year, the government injected Shs28 billion into the creative sector. If you are organised, it becomes easier to benefit from these programmes,” he noted.
Mr. Kibenge also encouraged the ghetto youth to enrol in the government’s Industrial Skilling Hubs to acquire technical and vocational skills that can enable them to create self-employment opportunities.
He further revealed that the Ministry of Gender operates an apprenticeship programme through which skilled youth are attached to companies and receive a monthly stipend of Shs540,000 during their training.
He underscored the importance of the ghetto structures in transforming communities and urged the newly elected leaders to be hardworking, honest, patriotic and to reject drug abuse and criminal activities.
The Special Presidential Assistant on Press and Mobilisation, who also serves as Deputy Press Secretary to H.E the President, Alhaji Faruk Kirunda, informed the Permanent Secretary that the government last year injected Shs1.2 billion into the 12 Ghetto SACCOs in the Busoga sub-region to support youth with affordable start-up capital for businesses and other income-generating activities.
He explained that the retreat, which commenced on Saturday, July 11, 2026, forms part of the government’s broader rehabilitation and empowerment programme aimed at transforming ghetto communities,
