By Cayen Faith
More than 4,000 adolescent girls in Kampala have benefited from the Girls Empowering Girls (GEG) programme implemented by the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and its partners over the past seven years.
The programme was officially closed at a ceremony held at City Hall on April 17, 2026, presided over by Vice President Jessica Alupo under the theme “Empowered Girls, Resilient Futures.”
GEG was launched in 2019 by KCCA with support from UNICEF and the Government of Belgium, targeting girls in and out of school, particularly those from high-dropout areas and low-income households.
Vice President Alupo said the programme’s results show the impact of investing in girls, urging beneficiaries to make use of the opportunities provided.
“These girls must remain committed to their education and use the skills they have acquired to transform their lives and their communities,” she said.
KCCA Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki said the programme has delivered results across all five divisions of the city.
More than 800 girls were supported to return to school, over 211 completed vocational training, and at least 35 have since started their own businesses.
Buzeki said the approach combined education support, social protection and skills development, which helped restore confidence and dignity among the beneficiaries.
Belgium’s Ambassador to Uganda, Hugues Chantry, said the closure marks a milestone and not an end, noting that empowering girls is key to social and economic development.
UNICEF Country Representative Dr Robin Nandy said the programme reached over 4,000 girls across two phases, focusing on those most at risk, including out-of-school girls, teenage mothers and refugees.
He said the model used under the programme provides lessons for similar interventions in other urban centres.
The GEG programme is among the few urban-focused initiatives targeting adolescent girls, combining cash transfers, mentorship, education support and vocational training.
Officials say lessons from the programme will inform future efforts aimed at improving access to education and economic opportunities for vulnerable girls in urban communities.
