Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has intensified its efforts to reduce youth unemployment and underemployment through targeted skilling programs delivered at the Kabalagala Youth Centre and the Employment Services Bureau (ESB).
These centres are becoming vibrant hubs of innovation and opportunity, nurturing a new generation of urban entrepreneurs who are redefining Kampala’s economic landscape.
With more than 700 young people trained in the past financial year alone, KCCA’s youth empowerment strategy is proving to be a powerful tool in bridging the skills gap and enabling access to employment and self-employment.
The Kabalagala Youth Centre provides free, hands-on training in areas such as tailoring, bakery, soap making, crafts, carpentry, welding, urban farming, and mechanics.
These are not just basic skills; they are entry points into viable enterprises and income-generating activities. Many of the graduates have gone on to establish small businesses or find employment in Kampala’s thriving informal and formal sectors.
The Employment Services Bureau complements this approach by focusing on professional development and labour market readiness.
Located in Nakawa, the ESB offers a range of services including career guidance, CV writing, interview preparation, and linkages to job opportunities in both the public and private sectors.
It also acts as a springboard for young people entering the gig economy especially in sectors like technology, logistics, and digital services.
Through these initiatives, KCCA is fostering a culture of self-reliance and entrepreneurship among Kampala’s youth.
Many of the program beneficiaries have transitioned from idle job seekers to active participants in the city’s economic ecosystem.
In doing so, they are not only improving their livelihoods but also contributing to Kampala’s broader development goals of poverty reduction, economic inclusion, and innovation-driven growth.
The city’s approach aligns with Uganda’s national employment and development objectives, particularly under the fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), which emphasises human capital development, job creation, and the digital economy.
KCCA’s youth skilling programs are designed to respond directly to these priorities, offering practical and sustainable solutions to urban unemployment.
Beyond individual empowerment, these programs are also catalysing the rise of micro-enterprises across the city.
Young people trained in tailoring, for instance, have set up fashion startups and small clothing brands, tapping into Kampala’s vibrant creative sector.
Those trained in bakery and crafts are supplying goods to local markets, schools, and businesses. Urban farmers are producing vegetables and herbs for both home consumption and commercial sale.
These businesses are creating a ripple effect generating income, employing others, and adding value to the local economy.
Another major impact of these centres is their contribution to the gig and informal economies.
With Kampala’s job market becoming increasingly digital and flexible, more youth are venturing into freelance work, digital marketing, ride-hailing, delivery services, and tech-based startups.
The ESB supports them through digital literacy training and access to online platforms that help connect them with clients and opportunities.
KCCA’s long-term goal is to scale up these efforts to reach even more youth across the city’s five divisions.
Plans are underway to strengthen partnerships with the private sector, development agencies, and civil society to enhance funding, equipment, and market linkages for trainees.
The city is also working on upgrading the centres’ facilities and expanding training programs to include ICT, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship development.
This comprehensive model of youth empowerment combining technical skills, business training, and job placement is fast becoming a benchmark for urban employment programs in the region.
It demonstrates that with the right support systems, young people can drive economic transformation from the grassroots.
As Kampala continues to urbanise, the need to harness the energy and potential of its young population is more urgent than ever.
KCCA’s skilling centres are not just service points they are launchpads for innovation, resilience, and growth.
By equipping youth with tools to thrive in today’s dynamic economy, the city is investing in a future where entrepreneurship and creativity power inclusive urban development.
In an era where traditional job pathways are narrowing and digital disruption is creating new opportunities, Kampala’s youth are being prepared to adapt, innovate, and lead.
Through Kabalagala Youth Centre and the Employment Services Bureau, the city is laying the foundation for a more skilled, self-sufficient, and entrepreneurial generation ready to shape Kampala’s future, one idea at a time.