Punching Above Poverty: Museveni Donates UGX 10M to Empower Kalerwe Boxing Youths.

Kalerwe’s narrow lanes buzzed with new purpose when news broke that President Yoweri Museveni had sent a cash gift of UGX 10 million to the Kalerwe Boxing Club (KBC) Savings and Credit Co‑operative Organisation, a group of 150 young athletes and micro‑entrepreneurs who train above a modest gym in Muwonge Towers, Kampala’s Kawempe Division.

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The funds arrived through State House emissary Moses Byaruhanga, who told the gathering that the President wanted “seed capital” to help the boxers expand their side businesses and escape the pull of joblessness and petty crime.

Money was not the only surprise. Byaruhanga also unveiled brand‑new gym equipment—gloves, heavy bags, benches, and weights—worth an additional UGX 38 million, secured after the club’s leaders pleaded that their worn‑out gear could no longer serve aspiring champions.

Applause echoed off concrete walls as club manager and kick‑boxing star Ismail Seguya promised that the kit would be shared with neighbouring outfits like Katwe and Tiger Boxing Clubs, spreading the benefit beyond Kalerwe’s borders.

Local councillor‑hopeful Noah Mukwaya urged the youths to treat the donation as capital, not cash‑out: a revolving fund for boda‑spare‑parts stalls, produce kiosks, and tailoring corners that many boxers run to feed families between bouts.

Behind the fanfare lay a broader calculus. State House is quietly backing one youth SACCO in each of Kampala’s nine constituencies, hoping that organised enterprise will blunt the lure of opposition rallies and street protests. KBC earned its boost by formalising early and keeping meticulous savings records.

Critics say presidential cheques arrive conveniently close to campaign seasons, yet few in Kalerwe dwelt on politics as they hefted new dumbbells and plotted their businesses. For an afternoon, gloves thudded, laughter rose, and 150 young men and women glimpsed a future where fists win medals—and honest work wins independence