Acting Minister of Education and Sports Dr. John C. Muyingo has taken the Government’s education transformation agenda to the ground in Eastern Uganda, monitoring and commissioning key interventions aimed at improving learning environments, strengthening vocational training and connecting skills development to employment.
On Wednesday, October 7, 2026, Minister Muyingo undertook a busy programme in Jinja City, visiting Budondo Senior Secondary School, Kakira Vocational Training Institute and the Hotel and Tourism Training College, where he assessed and participated in the implementation of education and skills development interventions supported through Uganda’s partnership with Enabel and the Government of Belgium.
The engagements reflected the Government’s broader commitment to ensuring that investments in education translate into better learning conditions, relevant skills and increased opportunities for Uganda’s young people.
At Budondo Senior Secondary School, Minister Muyingo commissioned an eco-prefabricated classroom and participated in the ground-breaking for the main construction works, marking another step in efforts to address infrastructure needs and provide learners with safe, adequate and quality learning facilities.
Minister Muyingo said education infrastructure is a critical foundation for quality education, but emphasised that Government’s objective goes beyond constructing classrooms.
He said the facilities must provide an environment where teachers can teach effectively, learners can study in dignity and schools can develop the knowledge, skills, values and competencies required to contribute to Uganda’s social and economic transformation.
The Minister welcomed the use of eco-prefabricated construction technology, noting that Government supports innovative approaches capable of delivering quality infrastructure while promoting environmental sustainability and responding to the growing demand for education facilities.
He also called upon the school management, staff and students to take ownership of the facilities, maintain them properly and ensure that they are used effectively for the benefit of learners.
Minister Muyingo further urged the school to complement academic education with practical skills, digital literacy, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship, saying Uganda needs young people who are equipped to participate productively in a changing economy.
From Budondo, Minister Muyingo proceeded to Kakira Vocational Training Institute, where he commissioned a water supply system and participated in the ground-breaking for new construction works.
The water intervention is expected to improve sanitation, health and the general learning environment at the institution, while the new construction works will strengthen the institute’s capacity to provide practical and technical training.
Minister Muyingo said vocational training institutions have a critical role to play in Uganda’s industrialisation and economic transformation by preparing young people with practical skills required by industry and the wider labour market.
He commended Enabel and the Government of Belgium for their continued partnership with Uganda in strengthening skills development and vocational education.
The Minister also encouraged students at Kakira to take their training seriously, acquire both technical and entrepreneurial skills and develop discipline, innovation and a strong work ethic.
His programme continued at the Hotel and Tourism Training College, where he toured the college facilities, including the Job Training Centre established under the WeWork programme.
The visit provided an opportunity for Minister Muyingo to assess an approach that seeks to bridge the gap between training and employment by helping young people connect their acquired skills with actual opportunities in the labour market.
Minister Muyingo said Uganda’s education system must increasingly focus on producing graduates with practical and marketable skills rather than certificates alone.
He explained that the measure of success in skills development should extend beyond graduation to what happens afterwards—whether graduates secure employment, become self-employed, establish enterprises or continue upgrading their skills.
The Minister said the Job Training Centre provides an important model for strengthening the link between training institutions, employers and young people, and called for similar approaches to be strengthened across Uganda’s skills development system.
He urged training institutions to understand the changing needs of employers and equip learners with competencies that respond to real and emerging opportunities in the labour market.
He also called upon the private sector and employers to participate more actively in skills development, including providing opportunities for work-based learning, industrial exposure and employment.
In the hospitality and tourism sector, Minister Muyingo noted that employers need graduates who can demonstrate technical competence, professionalism, creativity, discipline and excellent customer service.
Across the three institutions, the Minister emphasised the importance of proper management, accountability and maintenance of Government and development-partner investments.
He urged institutional leaders to protect the facilities and ensure that the investments deliver lasting benefits to learners and communities.
The Jinja engagements brought together the Ministry of Education and Sports technical team, Jinja City authorities, institutional leadership, staff, students and development partners, demonstrating the collaborative approach required to strengthen Uganda’s education and skills sector.
Minister Muyingo’s field programme also underlined the Government’s message of “Kisanja Hakuna Kulala”, with emphasis on continued implementation, monitoring and ensuring that planned interventions translate into tangible improvements for Ugandans.
From classrooms and water systems to vocational workshops and employment-support centres, the interventions visited by the Minister demonstrate the interconnected nature of Uganda’s human capital development agenda.
The Government is pursuing an education system that does not only increase access to learning but also improves the quality of education, strengthens practical and technical skills, promotes innovation and prepares young people for productive participation in the economy.
Minister Muyingo commended the Government of Belgium, Enabel, Jinja City authorities, school and institutional managements, teachers, trainers and other stakeholders for their contribution to the interventions.
He said partnerships of this nature remain important as Uganda continues to invest in human capital and build the skills required for sustainable socio-economic transformation.
The Minister’s engagements in Jinja therefore marked more than a series of visits. They provided an opportunity to monitor implementation, engage directly with education institutions and reinforce the Government’s commitment to ensuring that investments in education produce measurable benefits for learners and the wider community.
