NAKAPIRIPIRIT – President Yoweri Museveni has pledged to improve working conditions and accelerate job creation across Uganda through reforms including the introduction of a minimum wage, elimination of exploitative labour practices, and smarter infrastructure and economic planning.
Speaking during International Labour Day celebrations on May 1 at Nakale playgrounds in Nakapiripirit district, President Museveni struck a tone of urgency and optimism as he outlined his government’s plans to address unemployment, casual labour and the structural obstacles to economic transformation.
“We are going to create more jobs in Uganda,” Museveni said, noting that both government and private wealth creation initiatives will be key drivers of employment.
“According to our formula, we shall create wealth, whether by government or individuals, and this will create more jobs.”
The Labour Day event, held under the theme “Consolidating the Gains of the Parish Development Model (PDM) for Increased Productivity and Inclusive Job Creation”, brought together ministers, MPs, Karamoja residents, cultural and religious leaders, and international dignitaries.
Museveni said Uganda must reduce the cost of doing business by investing in affordable transport, electricity, and credit to enable enterprises to thrive and create employment.
“We are tarmacking roads, but cargo needs railway and water transport—cheaper, faster and more reliable. That’s how wealth creators will do business,” he said.
He also criticised the continued use of road transport for goods, arguing it increases costs and eats into profits.
“With low production costs, businesses make profits. Low-cost loans through Uganda Development Bank (UDB) and the Parish Development Model accelerate wealth creation and, therefore, jobs,” Museveni added.
LABOUR RIGHTS AND MINIMUM WAGE
Addressing labour issues directly, Museveni promised reforms that include setting a minimum wage and cracking down on exploitative recruitment agencies.
“We are going to review the minimum wage policies, Pay As You Earn (PAYE), and foreign labour rules with the view to protecting local workers,” he said.
He warned companies employing foreigners in jobs Ugandans can do to cease the practice and, instead, support local employment centres, affordable housing, Saccos for workers, and ensure access to free education for their children in government schools.
“The companies which bring foreigners to do work which Ugandans can do must stop,” the president said, promising reforms to ensure dignity and protection for workers.
PATRIOTISM AND REGIONAL TRADE
Museveni also tied Uganda’s economic progress to broader values of patriotism and pan-africanism.
“Once you have patriotism, Pan-Africanism, and social-economic transformation, a boy in Nakapiripirit can be transformed from a jobless boy to a money maker,” he said.
“We must sell our goods internationally—this is why we need unity to negotiate with the Chinese, Americans and Europeans.”
NEW DATA, SAME CHALLENGES
According to data from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos) shared during the event, Uganda currently has 1.4 million factory workers, 3.6 million in agriculture, five million in services, 46,000 in ICT, and 480,000 in public service.
Museveni noted that the private sector already employs more people than the government, and encouraged Ugandans to take advantage of government programmes and reforms aimed at building economic independence and job creation.
He praised the Parish Development Model (PDM) for boosting rural incomes through small-scale farming.
“Wealth creation is the foundation. Wealth brings employment,” he said, while warning the ministry of Works and Transport against neglecting road maintenance in favour of uncompleted new projects.
VOICES FROM THE LABOUR SECTOR
The minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development Betty Amongi revealed that 56.7 percent of Uganda’s 25.1 million working-age population is employed, with over 70 percent still in informal jobs.
“Young people under 30 make up 73 per cent of our workforce. Efforts are underway to formalise employment through skills training and industrialisation,” she said.
Amongi also announced plans to increase the number of labour attachés in the Middle East to protect Ugandan migrant workers, many of whom have faced exploitation. She credited the PDM with reducing the number of Ugandans living in subsistence from 39 per cent to 33 per cent.
John Oketcho, chairman general of the Central Organisation of Free Trade Unions (COFTU), commended the president’s prioritisation of workers’ rights, while the International Labour Organisation (ILO) praised Uganda’s progressive refugee employment policies.
In a show of political support, both COFTU and NOTU endorsed President Museveni as their sole candidate for the 2026 general elections.
HONOURING WORKERS AND JOURNALISTS
The celebrations also featured the launch of Uganda’s Third Generation Decent Work Country Programme and saw 61 individuals awarded medals for their service and loyalty to the nation.
Among them was The Observer’s own Zurah Nakabugo, who received the National Independence Diamond Jubilee Medal for her work as a journalist, women’s union leader and board member of Uganda Media Women’s Association.
zuraneetah2015@gmail.com
As usual, it is a dishonest and laughable (“misleading lie”)!
Because of his pet investors’ INTEREST and EXPLOITATION of cheap labor (slave wage), isn’t Gen Tibuhaburwa the same person and president who has been rabidly opposed to “Minimum Wage”?
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have told he whole wide world that the “Problem of Africa” is: African leaders refusal to leave power, but only to end up becoming 4 times our “Problem of Africa”.
And can the same person who on 26th Jan 2017, in broad-day-light, loud and clear told off Ugandans and the whole wide world that: he is neither our SERVANT nor EMPLOYEE care a damn about “Minimum Wage” or securing Ugandans future? NYET.
In other words, the Labor Day “minimum wage” vow is just but one of the many deceptive, do or die propaganda-value empty-promise rhetoric for the 2026 General Erection.
E.g., what happened to the “Hakuna mushezo” ultimatum to end CORRUPTION and the CORRUPT?
All Gen Tibuhaburwa’s lies and empty vows and/or failures to implement whatever he vows/promises make him a misleading and BOGUS president not worth listening to.
Lakwena, thanks.
Why will POWERLESS tribally divided ruled Ugandans go for 2026 fake presidential election to ensure Rwandese Museveni’s 45 years in power, protected legally, officially, constitutionally?
NO to the triballistic system Rwandese Museveni put in place to ensure Ugandans are POWERLESS, then UNITY are all that are need to stop him, then Ugandans will form the kind of governane they want!
Yet, not even Bobi Wine who was 5 years old in 1986 understands he’s just helping Rwandese Museveni own Uganda for life, leave the post to his son in the waiting through the fake elections that protect the evil family through & through!
Dr Besigye who took care of Museveni’s health for years is being thanked now, right?
Where is that just ONE National/Common Leader, so so needed, to sing Ugandans to UNITY?
The usual HOT AIR but do not forget that we are approaching 2026 and looking for votes. After the voting it will be in unclarified archives
You have hit the nail on its head. Next as usual, the sycophants and the gullible are going to begin gushing, as to how caring this man is, and how he is the best thing that has ever happened to this banana country. Museveni and family and sycophants really make me ill.
If you want to sell anything for hot air, look no farther than a conman to do the job.
Am told, I need to independently verify this, that those thousands upon thousands of Ugandans working in those factories, especially these Chinese factories, that they work 12 hours a day to earn UGX 7,000/= ($ 1.7) … and what magic is suddenly going to make that say just UGX 15,000/= per day? Do you see the lie? If just like medical doctors and teachers are still grappling with the empty promise, and many wish they were like military personnel or MPs, then how about these no bodies?
Some are still waiting for a promised cash drip from 4 kisanjas ago and hoping luck strikes them this time like this person is an immortal promising them paradise.
We need accountability and swift change, including, changing these fibbing leaders … and then stand a chance of one day landing some Magufuli of sorts. Otherwise, we’re in danger of squeezing out and wasting our own pearls (smart people) in exchange for the lies.
COFTU and NOTU just seem to be talking hot air for supporting a Pan African leader who has just woken up after 40 years in state power and promised their workers a minimum wage in Uganda and Africa in general.
Good that ILO does not seem to have been recorded as determined to support such promises. Uganda in much debts by a long serving government that spends money in rigged elections at the tune of 4 trillion shillings just to stay put in state power how much minimum wage will it put in law?
One wants to challenge these happy labour directors to bring out their preamble in two weeks time before the 2026 national elections concerning how much should a normal Uganda worker earn from a minimum wage to try and make ends of month meet?
They should also in this minimum wage report indicate how much wages they themselves earn every month! Of course if they do not take up the challenge there are many journalists who will be able to find out and be able to inform the economic suffering public!
These labour organization directors are receiving million of shillings to keep quiet about not legislating minimum wage payments. Of course they have got to keep supporting this long serving government that has a record against a workers’ minimum wage in this poor African country!
its so interesting and so encouraging