Museveni Urges Youth to Engage in Wealth Creation, Fight Unemployment

President Yoweri Museveni has encouraged Ugandan youth to focus on wealth creation as a means to combat unemployment. “When you engage in wealth creation, you create jobs. The source of jobs is wealth creation,” he emphasized during a meeting with youth leaders at State House Entebbe on October 5, 2024.

The President advised young people not to expect government jobs, given the limited opportunities in public service, which offers about 470,000 jobs. "Where do the jobs come from? Being stuck on the idea that the government must give you a job is not correct," he said. He cited an example of a successful dairy farmer, Nyakana, who created 15 jobs from just one acre of land.

Museveni differentiated between development and wealth creation, explaining that development includes shared infrastructure like roads and schools, while wealth creation is a personal endeavor. He added that a wealthy individual can navigate challenges such as power or water shortages by investing in alternative sources, as he did in Rwakitura.

Acknowledging the country's challenges, such as corruption, the President asserted that Uganda is progressing due to the right ideology championed by the National Resistance Movement (NRM). He urged youth to study political economy to understand the importance of patriotism over tribal or religious politics, which have caused disasters in other African nations.

He also assured youth that the government remains committed to fighting corruption. “We said vote for people like LC1, LC2, LC3 Chairpersons, and MPs who will protect your interests,” he explained, urging them to insist on their share of poverty alleviation programs like the Parish Development Model (PDM).

Col. Edith Nakalema, Head of the State House Investors Protection Unit (SHIPU), commended the youth's potential to drive Uganda’s socio-economic transformation. She highlighted their challenges, such as unemployment, corruption, and lack of empowerment, but praised the government's initiatives, including the Presidential Skilling Initiative, that aim to empower them.

Jacob Eyeru, National Youth Council Chairperson, pledged the youth’s support in the fight against corruption and requested the reinstatement of the council’s budget for smooth operations. Other youth leaders, including Mr. Okot Francis from the Uganda National Students Association (UNSA) and Reagan Mwebesa, Guild President of Kyambogo University, also raised concerns over corruption, student loan funding, and improved service delivery at universities. Next Media's Editor-In-Chief, Dalton Kaweesa, emphasized the importance of collaboration between the government and media in the fight against corruption.