In the heart of Kawempe, a suburb in Kampala, where many young people once woke up each day with little hope for tomorrow, a quiet but powerful transformation has been unfolding one life at a time.

For years, Nyanzi Kamuli Sulaiman lived the hard life of the ghetto. Like many youths around him, survival came first, and survival often meant crime. Jobs were scarce, school was long forgotten, and frustration ruled the streets. Politics became an outlet for anger rather than a path to solutions.

The activities of NRM flag bearer, President Museveni in Nansana and Kawempe.

He openly identified as a strong supporter of the opposition, not because of ideology, but because he felt abandoned, unheard, and written off by society.

Life took a sharp turn when brushes with the law landed him in custody. What seemed like the end instead became an unexpected beginning. During this period, Sulaiman and others like him were introduced to the Presidential Skilling Hub in Kawempe, an initiative under State House supported by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, aimed at rescuing vulnerable youth from the streets and equipping them with practical skills.

At first, skepticism ruled. “We thought it was politics or another empty promise,” he recalls. But the reality surprised him. The training was free, structured, and practical. More importantly, it came with something he had never received before, a mind-set change. Trainers spoke about discipline, patriotism, self-worth, and the power of skills over shortcuts.

Sulaiman chose shoemaking. What started as curiosity quickly turned into purpose. Day by day, he learned how to design, stitch, and produce quality footwear. Alongside the technical skills came responsibility, time management, and confidence. For the first time, he could see a future that did not involve running from police or living in fear.

Six months later, he graduated not just with a certificate, but with a completely new identity. Today, the former ghetto gang member is a trainer himself, teaching other young people who are walking the same dangerous path he once walked. From being a problem in the community, he has become part of the solution.

Across Kawempe, other former gang members some of whom once openly resisted President Museveni’s leadership now speak differently. Not because they were forced, but because their reality changed. Skills replaced anger. Income replaced desperation. Dignity replaced shame.

The Presidential Skilling Hub did what politics alone could not do: it addressed the root cause poverty, idleness, and lack of opportunity.

Today, Sulaiman’s message to fellow ghetto youth is simple and honest:

“Before fighting the system, fix your life. Skills will feed you. Hustle will free you.”

In Kawempe, the skilling hub stands as proof that when leadership meets practical solutions, even the most written-off lives can be rebuilt. What was once a breeding ground for gangs is slowly becoming a factory of hope, dignity, and second chances.

On Tuesday, Jan 6th 2026, the NRM presidential flag bearer, president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni campaigned in Kawempe Division where he addressed a public rally at Mbogo Mosque grounds.

Museveni described the youth skilling program as a strategic intervention to cause massive empowerment among young people. As usual, the president invited the youth who have benefitted from the skilling programs funded by state house to share testimonies.

President Museveni has pledged to increase the total number of skilling hubs from the current 18 to 36 in the new government.

On Wednesday, the president will campaign in Makindye and Nakawa.