President Yoweri Museveni has been commended for efforts to organize and economically empower ghetto communities across Busoga and the rest of Uganda through the Ghetto Structure Initiative.
Speaking at the Busoga Sub-region Ghetto Structure Leaders’ Retreat in Iganga Municipality, the Deputy National Coordinator of the Ghetto Structure Project, Maj. Emma Kutesa, said many young people living in ghettos had previously missed out on government programmes because they were often perceived as criminals.
He said President Museveni recognized this challenge and initiated support for ghetto SACCOs by injecting funds to improve the livelihoods of youth and enable them to participate in income-generating activities.
Maj. Kutesa urged ghetto leaders to use the established structures to mobilize fellow youth to embrace government wealth creation programmes and actively contribute to the fight against poverty.
The three-day retreat, held at the Bishop Willis Centre under the theme “Empowering the Ghettos for a Crime-Free Society,” brought together leaders from 131 ghetto depots across the Busoga sub-region.
According to the organizers, the 11 districts that make up the Busoga sub-region have so far received a total of Shs100 million to kick-start income-generating activities under the initiative.
The retreat is part of the government’s broader rehabilitation and empowerment programme aimed at transforming ghetto communities, promoting responsible leadership, reducing crime, and integrating young people into national development programmes.
The event was organized by the Office of the Special Presidential Assistant on Press and Mobilisation and Deputy Press Secretary to the President, Alhaji Faruk Kirunda, in collaboration with the Uganda Police Force’s Crime Intelligence Directorate, headed by AIGP Maj. Gen. Christopher Ddamulira.
By Our Reporter
13th July 2026
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