Museveni Tells Ghetto Youth: Guard Peace for Prosperity

KAMPALA – President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged young people in urban areas to protect Uganda’s hard-won peace, declaring it the essential foundation for development, service delivery, and personal wealth creation.

Addressing hundreds of youths at the Kawempe Mbogo Mosque Playground in Nabukalu Zone, Kawempe Division, President Museveni stressed that peace is not merely a political achievement but a vital personal investment for every citizen.

“Peace is the first and most important thing. Without it, nothing else is possible. No roads, no schools, no hospitals, no jobs,” President Museveni stated. He pointed to booming infrastructure projects across Uganda, from rural farms to urban factories, as tangible evidence of peace’s benefits.

Using images of developments in Kalangala and Kampala, the President explained, “You may say those buildings are not yours, but let me tell you, every bag of cement, every tonne of steel, every nail used pays tax. That tax immunizes your children, builds roads, and brings piped water to your homes.”

Illustrating the long-term value of peace and tax-funded services, the President invited a woman living with polio, born before the NRM government, to address the crowd. She confirmed no child born since 1997 under the NRM has suffered polio due to government immunisation programmes. “That is the value of peace,” Museveni emphasised, urging youth to see how national progress benefits them personally. “When you support peace, you are supporting yourself.”

Shifting focus, President Museveni stated that infrastructure alone is insufficient. “You can have a tarmac road, but you sleep in your house. If that house has problems, development isn’t enough. That’s why NRM emphasises wealth at the household level.”

He revealed that over four years, the government has sent over Shs10 billion to Kawempe via the Parish Development Model (PDM), allocating Shs100 million annually to each of its 22 parishes. “Kawempe is not in Congo or South Sudan, it is right here in Kampala. Go to the Town Clerk and ask where the Shs10bn has gone,” the President challenged.

Consequently, President Museveni tasked Hajjat Madinah Nsereko (NRM flag bearer, Kawempe South) and Faridah Nambi (NRM flag bearer, Kawempe North) to lead a committee verifying the funds’ use. “I have created a committee led by Madinah and Nambi. I will support them fully. We want transparency,” he declared.

While acknowledging the PDM cannot reach everyone immediately, Museveni noted its phased rollout, particularly in agriculture, has already benefited over 7,000 households in Kawempe with Shs1 million each. He reminded Ugandans that while development is collective, tackling poverty is personal. “You can have a paved road, but if you sit idle beside it, you’ll remain poor.”

Citing the successful Four-Acre Model introduced in 1996 and the example of Joseph Ijara from Serere, who earns over Shs800 million annually from poultry, Museveni insisted: “This is what we mean by waking up. You, too, can do it.” He also acknowledged the importance of urban trades and innovation alongside agriculture.

“Peace, development, services, markets, and wealth are the pillars of transformation. Let us guard them jealously because the future is yours,” the President concluded.

Officials Laud Progress

Kampala Minister Hajjat Minsa Kabanda commended the President’s commitment, praising the PDM’s impact: “The funds are reaching citizens, fuelling household transformation… People who lost hope are starting businesses, improving homes, and sending children to school.” She pledged transparency in monitoring funds.

Hajjat Madinah Nsereko expressed deep gratitude for the President’s support to ghetto youth: “We thank you sincerely… Your efforts have brought real change.”

Providing an update, Maj. Emma Kuteesa, Presidential Coordinator for Ghetto Affairs, reported significant progress. Following a presidential directive, 12 Ghetto SACCOs were established across Kampala Metropolitan, officially launched at Kololo in December 2023. A subsequent donation of Shs1.2 billion (Shs100m per SACCO) in July 2024 proved transformative.

“From a few hundred members, our ghetto SACCO network has grown to over 10,000 youth in Kampala Metropolitan, and over 40,000 countrywide,” Maj. Kuteesa stated. He noted the funds have birthed over 500 small-scale projects, including welding, goat-rearing, mushroom growing, music, and fashion ventures.

“Crime rates have gone down significantly… Youth are now occupied, productive entrepreneurs, artisans, and agents of development,” Kuteesa added.

The event was attended by Government Chief Whip Denis Hamson Obua, Minister of State for Investment and Privatisation Evelyne Anite, KCCA Executive Director Hajjat Sharifah Buzeki, NRM Director for Mobilisation Rosemary Nansubuga Sseninde, State House Comptroller Jane Barekye, and National Secretariat for Patriotism Commissioner Hellen Seku, among others.