A total of 50,000 passion fruit seedlings have been distributed to youths in Bukoto Central with the goal of empowering them to become more productive and improve their livelihoods.
Alex Kalinzi Ntamu, the Second Deputy of the Kinyomo clan and also a political aspirant for the Bukoto Central parliamentary seat in the 2026 elections, spearheaded the initiative. He explained that the effort aims to reach every youth in Bukoto Central with tangible support to uplift their lives through agriculture.
Ntamu criticized the government for neglecting agriculture in its recent policies, noting that many farmers find it difficult to benefit from the crops they grow due to lack of investment in the sector.
Speaking during a meeting with youths from Buyaga village in Kyanamukaaka Sub-county, Masaka District, where he distributed the seedlings, Kalinzi emphasized his commitment to agriculture as a tool for transforming young people’s lives.
He urged the government to allocate more funds from programs such as PDM (Parish Development Model) and Emyooga towards purchasing agricultural inputs that can directly benefit the people.
Ntamu further revealed that his main objective is to ensure that young people remain engaged in productive activities rather than idling. He highlighted that passion fruit farming can help them save money, which can later be used to buy land and invest in long-term ventures like coffee farming.
Some of the beneficiaries expressed concerns about the challenges they still face, especially drought. They called for support with water pumps to help them irrigate their crops and ensure better yields.