Ugandans are at pains. Right from physical to financial to emotional, there is a dose of pain that every Ugandan must contend with every day.
And it gets worse in the case of young Ugandans. With over 70 per cent of Ugandans below the age of 30 as per the 2024 national census, we have an accumulated breed of young people accustomed to pain in the form of misrule, institutionalized corruption, run-away unemployment and unprecedented moral decadence.
Sadly, the people entrusted with instruments of power seem not to care. They consider the young generation as pawns that can be dangled around and manipulated through wrong promises and demeaning handouts. That is why even the recent initiative to take parliamentary sessions to the people has been met with skepticism and a general conclusion that is it another useless ‘money-eating’ venture.
In other circles, Uganda has been renamed the garbage state, in view of the recent tragedy in Kiteezi garbage collection centre that has exposed our pathetic garbage management measures. With view of all this, Uganda’s state of affairs is painful, unsustainable and anti-development. As youth leaders in Buganda kingdom, we acknowledge the duty on our hands to alter this course.
During his message to mark 31 years of his coronation, Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II emphasized the role of youths in fostering good governance and unity. This note of approval and vote of confidence from the Kabaka has re-energised us to fight harder to see our country realise an equitable development agenda built on good governance and nationalism.
We acknowledge that there is a general lack of patriotism among our leaders that their usual visits to Kyankwanzi cannot cure. That is why it is only in Uganda where a minister steals iron- sheets meant for the people of Karamoja because they don’t ‘belong’ there and nothing will be done to them.
It is in Uganda where someone in the prime minister’s office steals money meant for the rehabilitation of northern Uganda and they keep their job. People do these things because they lack a sense of belonging and a nationalistic ideology. The examples of these scenarios are many, where people plunder the national purse at the expense of the common man with no consequence at all.
At the end of the day, the young generation has been shown that hard work is not the way to success. Rather, you must know how to ‘cut a deal’ to succeed. This lack of a nationalism can only be ended if every region was allowed to manage its resources under a federal system of government.
Since he assumed office in 2013, the Katikkiro of Buganda Charles Peter Mayiga has maintained the five strategic objectives of transforming Buganda, including preserving and protecting its territories, upholding the sovereignty of the Kabaka and demanding the federo system of government.
While we have been largely successful on other objectives, the federo debate has largely remained un-tackled due to a number of circumstances. On a broader perspective, in the 31 years of Kabaka Mutebi’s leadership, the kingdom has had tremendous transformation in the sectors of health, education, leadership, agriculture, etc. However, we believe there is a lot that can be done if we were under a federo system.
Buganda has always insisted on self-governance and administration under a federo system. Our leaders, including the president, are well aware that during the Constituent Assembly and the amalgamation of the 1995 Uganda Constitution, at least 60 per cent of Ugandans preferred a federo system of government.
The same has been echoed by subsequent leaders because we believe that federalism encourages grassroots development because every area feels the cardinal duty of uplifting their localities. Why are we, then, insisting on a system of government that is against the will of the people?
It is unbelievable that even representatives from Buganda that were waxing lyrical about federo during their pre-parliamentary advocacy have since gone mute about this matter. One is forced to wonder: what is the essence of the Buganda caucus if they cannot front the kingdom’s demands?
It is sad that many Buganda youths do not even know the leadership of the Buganda parliamentary caucus. That just tells you how quiet they have been about all Buganda issues, especially federo. The Buganda caucus MPs can only redeem themselves by pushing for a federo system of governance in Uganda because that is what this country needs.
Bad governance is highly detrimental on young people because they hold the key to the future of any nation. Challenges such as corruption, unemployment, political hand-outs, expensive credit, high taxation, are the reason why some youths are rising up to voice their grievances through peaceful demonstrations.
The solution is not in arresting and imprisoning them but, rather, in listening and tackling their challenges. Responsible leaders should be accountable to the people they lead and they should accept constructive criticism. A leader that is immune to criticism is bound to self-destruct.
I would like to wind up by encouraging the youth not to waver in these trying times. We cannot rescue ourselves from the shackles of bad governance without suffering. The mission is to stay strong and resolute because power lies with the people – and we are the majority!
The author is the chairperson of Buganda Youth Council.
