At Growers Playground in Kawempe, Kampala, Major Gen. Christopher Damulira handed over 300 motorcycles to boda boda riders operating under various Kawempe SACCOs.
The motorcycles were procured using shs 100 million that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni infused into each SACCO as part of his wider strategy to economically empower ghetto communities and reduce crime through structured livelihood support.
The handover is the latest milestone in a long-running campaign led by Maj Gen Damulira to mobilize and reorganize ghetto youth in Kampala and the broader Central region.
Over the past several years, he has steadily championed the formation of ghetto SACCOs—especially in areas such as Kawempe, Bwaise, Katwe, Kisenyi, Kasokoso and Kamwokya, transforming previously vulnerable youth groups into organised, financially active associations.
These SACCOs have become key vehicles through which President Museveni has channelled substantial financial support intended to uplift young people, curb unemployment, and neutralize crime-inducing environments.
Addressing beneficiaries on Wednesday, Maj Gen Damulira urged the riders to focus on productive work and ensure that the motorcycles serve as tools for economic advancement rather than instruments used to participate in unproductive political rallies.
He stressed that the transformation seen among ghetto youths is proof that when empowered financially and given a sense of ownership, young people naturally move away from criminal tendencies and destabilizing behaviour.
He reminded riders to obey traffic laws and maintain discipline on the road, noting that responsible conduct protects both their lives and the community. According to him, the success of the boda boda SACCOs demonstrates the effectiveness of government-backed empowerment initiatives in reducing crime and restoring order in previously volatile areas.
Following the handover, Maj Gen Damulira revealed that his next focus will be on mobilizing Taxi drivers, arguing that the remarkable progress achieved among ghetto youth and boda riders must now be extended to other segments of the transport sector. With ghetto groups and boda riders already using their SACCOs to uplift themselves, the General says the time is right to bring taxi operators into structured, lawful, and economically stable formations as well.
The event reinforces government’s broader strategy of promoting community-based empowerment as a foundation for stability, prosperity, and crime reduction across Central Uganda.