President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has appealed to the youth to engage in wealth creation to fight unemployment.
“When you engage in wealth creation, you create jobs. The source of jobs is wealth creation,” he emphasised.
The President made the remarks on Saturday, October 5, 2024, while meeting a group of youth leaders at State House Entebbe.
President Museveni advised the youths that they should not be stuck by the idea that the government should provide them with jobs, saying such a position is not right since the government has limited jobs in the public service.
“Where do the jobs come from? Being stuck on the idea that the government must give you a job is not the correct position because how can the government have jobs to employ all these Ugandans? The government jobs are all known; 470,000 jobs in public service,” he said.
“There’s a man called Nyakana in Fort Portal who just used one acre to do dairy farming and also poultry for eggs. He produces 120 trays of eggs per day and about 20 litres of milk from the few cows he has, and he has created 15 jobs there, and I calculated at one time that if we had people using 7 million acres like Nyakana, each one with 15 employees, we would have 105 million jobs, more than the whole population of Uganda, so the issue is not jobs; the issue is just confusion,” he added.
President Museveni also urged the youths to differentiate between development and wealth creation.
“You hear people talking about development. Development like the roads, electricity, piped water, schools, and health centres belongs to everybody. We always advise you that what comes to your house is wealth, not development. Development can be here or not, but you can have wealth still,” the president stated.
“When there’s service provision like security in the country, the next important thing is wealth creation in your home. If you have wealth, even if there are problems in service provision, you can help yourself. If there is no power in my area, I can have solar power. If there is no piped water, I can harvest water from the roof of my nice house. That is what I did in Rwakitura.”
Furthermore, President Museveni informed the youths that Uganda is moving forward despite a few challenges, like corruption.
He explained that the country is progressing because of the correct ideology of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government.
“We rejected the politics of identity based on tribes and religions. We said what is crucial is not identity; it is interest, and that is why we emphasise patriotism. But if you have people, whether young or old, talking about politics of identity based on tribes and religions, be sure they will lead to a disaster. You have heard of countries that have collapsed in Africa; that is the reason why,” he said.
“Yes, there’s corruption; there’s no proper distribution of wealth, but the economy is growing because of the correct analysis. Therefore, for me, I would like to advise you that if you really want to make a contribution, study ideology or political economy. It’s good that you want to go to Kyankwanzi because it’s in Kyankwanzi where they take you through what they call political economy.”
President Museveni also assured the youths that the government is at the forefront of fighting corruption.
“When we were in the struggle, I’m the one who proposed that now we have taken over the country, I cannot trust these government servants like the Parish Chief due to corruption. That is why I proposed, and the NRM accepted that yes, let’s keep the Gombolola Chief, Muluka Chief, and the CAO, but let the people elect their own people because the people they elect themselves are likely not to let them down because they are from them. We said vote for people like the LC1, LC2, and LC3 Chairpersons and MPs who will protect your interests,” he expounded.
On the other hand, President Museveni encouraged the youths to insist on their fair share of the government poverty alleviation programs like the Parish Development Model (PDM).
“We also have the Innovation Fund for you, the educated people, under the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation. We have got that money.”
Additionally, the President informed the youths that the government saved their lives when it stopped them from demonstrating during the planned #marchto Parliament protest. He explained that some opposition bad elements who work for the foreign interests were planning to cause harm to the protestors and then blame it on the government.
“We could not allow that to happen,” he assured.
The Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs, Hon. Balaam Barugahara, thanked the President for entrusting him and Col. Edith Nakalema to mobilise and bring harmony among the youths.
He also tasked the youth to reelect President Museveni in the 2026 general elections for a better future.
The Head of the State House Investors Protection Unit (SHIPU), Col. Edith Nakalema, underscored the crucial role of the youth in the development of Uganda.
“Your Excellency, the youth group of our nation constitutes a backbone on which our economy must rely to drive socio-economic transformation with innovative ideas,” she said.
Col. Nakalema also commended President Museveni and the NRM government for placing the interests of the youths at the core.
“Your priorities, through various government intervention programs over the years, continue to elevate the young and the old Ugandans and us who have been lucky to work under your leadership. We continue to be proud because we have a father who has a heart to keep developing all of us. We are proud of you, Your Excellency,” she said.
Col. Nakalema also highlighted the challenges the youths face in the country, such as unemployment, corruption, and limited empowerment.
“Your Excellency, when you tasked me to find out the cause of the deepening discontentment among the youths, I convened meetings with leaders of these youths through their organisations. I got in touch with various leaders, the majority of whom are here. The youth concerns include unemployment and youth empowerment. These young people complained that they have not had direct contact with policymakers, and I kept telling them that the President is dedicated to hearing and addressing all their concerns,” Col. Nakalema noted.
“The youths also complained about corruption and lack of accountability from leaders. These youths before you, Your Excellency, are determined to clean up corruption starting from where they are up to the national level.”
Col. Nakalema further revealed that the youths also have a challenge to afford capital for their business startups.
“But they thank you, Your Excellency, for the skilling programs, particularly the Presidential Skilling Initiative and other programs under the Ministry of Science and Technology. Their complaint remains that they have not had a clear line for benefiting from those initiatives. The Presidential Skilling is helping those who did not go far with school. These ones are requesting that you give them a leader who will connect them to the many initiatives.”
The National Youth Council (NYC) Chairperson, Mr. Jacob Eyeru, informed the President that they are ready to join him in the fight against corruption.
He also requested President Museveni to help them reinstitute the youth council budget so that they are able to run their operations smoothly.
“Your Excellency, you directed that they reinstate the budget of the youth council, but it has not been done, and we cannot even afford the salaries of the secretariat. Your Excellency, we pray that you help us with that because we cannot operate in the second quarter.”
The President of the Uganda National Students Association (UNSA), Mr. Okot Francis, said even students are being affected by the rampant corruption in the country.
He further told the President that they are currently running a campaign among the students to create awareness about the adverse effects of corruption.
He also requested President Museveni to increase the funds allocated to the Student Loan Scheme in order to help the vulnerable students realise their dreams as far as academics are concerned.
Mr. Reagan Mwebesa, the guild president of Kyambogo University who represented fellow guild presidents, informed the president that students in public universities have limited service delivery, which he attributed to quarterly release instead of semester release.
“We pray that the government releases funds on a semester basis for better service delivery,” he said.
He also requested President Museveni to ban late payment fines on tuition fees.
Mr. Obbo Johnson Emmanuel, the Coordinator, Nationwide Dialogue Committee, assured the President that the youths are behind him in the fight against corruption.
“We want to be your ambassadors in fighting corruption.”
Next Media’s Editor in Chief, Mr. Dalton Kaweesa, underscored the importance of collaboration between the government and the media in the fight against corruption.
