We’ve Been Sidelined For Long: Frustrated Ghetto Youths Storm ONC, Cry To Chief Muzzukulu Namyalo For Empowerment

By Frank Kamuntu

The Manager of the Office of the National Chairman (ONC) and Senior Presidential Advisor, Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye, has once again emerged as a beacon of hope for Kampala’s ghetto youths after warmly receiving and engaging with more than 100 youths from various ghetto groups across the city.

The youths, drawn mainly from Makindye, Katwe, and Kisenyi, thronged Namyalo’s Kyambogo office on Monday to express their concerns over challenges hindering their daily activities and access to government empowerment programmes. They were accompanied by ASP Gilbert Nyaika, the Community Liaison Officer at Katwe Police Division, and Mugisha Meddie, a youth leader and ONC Coordinator from Makindye Division.

During the meeting, the youths poured out their frustrations regarding difficulties in accessing key government financing initiatives such as the Parish Development Model (PDM), Ghetto Structures Fund, and Emyooga, citing corruption, favouritism, and bureaucratic barriers imposed by some leaders tasked with managing the funds.

“We are told these funds are meant for us, but when you try to access them, you are blocked unless you know someone. We want fairness so that ghetto youths can also benefit,” said Moses Kato, a youth from Kisenyi.

Others echoed similar frustrations, with Amina Nansubuga from Katwe saying many youths had abandoned applications altogether due to repeated disappointments. “We are ready to work, but the money never reaches us. That is why we came to Hajjat Namyalo — she listens,” she said.

The youths, including ghetto commanders, also applauded Namyalo for her consistent empowerment outreaches, particularly citing her visit to Katwe ghettos last year, where several youths benefited from tools and start-up support. They thanked President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for appointing Namyalo, whom they affectionately referred to as “Chief Muzukkulu”, describing her as a leader who genuinely works for the poor wanainchi.

Katwe Kinyoro Ipanda Ghetto leader, popularly known as “Mata Konko,” made it clear that it was the youths themselves who requested the meeting after feeling sidelined by some existing ghetto structures.

“We came to Namyalo because she listens and acts. For long, we were sidelined by people who claim to represent us,” Mata Konko said.

Some youths also appealed for empowerment tailored to their skills, including welding, mechanics, car washing, hair salons, tailoring, and small food businesses, stressing that sustainable livelihoods would help them break free from dependency.

Others with formal qualifications, like Orishaba Joviah, requested Namyalo’s support in linking skilled youths to opportunities within institutions such as Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, noting that lack of backing often stalls their applications.

In her response, Namyalo commended the youths for choosing dialogue over criminality and acknowledged the frustrations caused by bureaucratic bottlenecks. She pledged to follow up on the concerns and, where necessary, escalate them to President Museveni to ensure that government programmes reach their intended beneficiaries.

“These programmes are meant to uplift you, not frustrate you. I will follow this up and also engage the President so that funding is expanded and reaches the rightful people,” Namyalo said.

As an immediate intervention, Namyalo pledged to empower the youths based on their existing skills, including providing sewing machines, welding equipment, automotive toolboxes, car-wash machines, chips-making machines, popcorn and groundnut machines, and hairdryers for women-led enterprises. She revealed that the first phase of empowerment would be rolled out within the week.

She also urged the youths to remain disciplined and law-abiding, warning against criminal activities that could derail their futures. “This government brought peace and development. Use it positively. Crime will only take you to prison,” she cautioned.

ASP Nyaika praised Namyalo’s approach and the youths’ willingness to engage constructively. “This is the right path. When youths are empowered and busy, the community becomes safer,” he said.

The engagement once again highlighted Hajjat Namyalo’s growing reputation as a grassroots mobiliser and bridge between government and vulnerable communities, reinforcing her role as one of the most hands-on champions of youth empowerment in the country.