By Spy Uganda
Kampala: The Kingdom of Tooro has signed a Memorandum of Understanding-MoU with Uganda Industrial Research Institute- UIRI to establish an industrial research institute and specialized industrial park in Tooro. The park, valued at USD 100 million (366 billion Shillings), will be named the King Oyo Science, Technology, Innovation and Industrialization park.
The Memorandum was signed on Wednesday afternoon by the Omukama of Tooro Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV and Professor Charles Kwesiga, the Executive Director of the Uganda Industrial Research Institute, at the Namanve Manufacturing and Machining centre.
King Oyo noted that the MoU of establishing the research institute in Tooro will fulfil his aspiration of making his kingdom a model of sustainable development starting with ending poverty and building employment,”he said.
However, he cautioned on the Uganda’s education system, advising that it should be restructured to gear the youth towards innovation and entrepreneurship.
“Before the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, most of our youth were suffering from the mismatch between the education they have and the skills required for existing jobs,”he said.
He said the youth can play a pivotal role in rebuilding the economy if the government rethinks and redesigns the education and skilling system from creating job seekers to job creators and innovators.
The King further warned that the education system that basically produces job seekers rather than job creators, consumers rather than producers, beneficiaries rather than contributors is a big threat to youth and if not sorted is likely to affect the coming generations urging that therefore that must stop.
Ending youth unemployment, Oyo explained, will be achieved by unlocking their enormous potential and promoting agriculture and skills development, value addition, tourism, technology and strategic partnerships.
Oyo also noted that as part of the MOU, Youth from the Tooro Kingdom will be enrolled in phases at the New Namanve Manufacturing and Machining centre to be trained in different skills. The first group of 21 trainees was received on the same day that the MOU was signed.
The executive director of the institute, Prof Charles Kwesiga, thanked the King and his government for the hard work and focus to set up a similar one in Tooro Kingdom and notes the collaboration will yield results.
