BWANIKA JOSEPH: Forty years in power, Millions without opportunity, who failed Uganda’s Youth?

What the report says

Watchdog Uganda published an opinion piece by Joseph Bwanika arguing that Uganda’s economic progress is masking severe hardship for many citizens, especially young people. The article says official growth and transformation claims sit alongside low pay, high living costs and limited access to basic services for ordinary workers.

Citing Uganda Bureau of Statistics figures, the piece says median monthly earnings in paid employment were Shs200,000 in 2023/24, with a lower median for women than for men. It also says 5.25 million Ugandans aged 18 to 30, or 50.9 percent, are neither in employment, education nor training. Bwanika presents this as evidence that the country’s youthful population is not receiving enough productive opportunities.

The author links economic vulnerability to broader social pressures, including exploitation, survival sex and strains on family life caused by labour migration. He also refers to Kampala Capital City Authority’s HIV report, while cautioning that HIV has many causes and should not be reduced to unemployment alone. The article says government programs such as Emyooga and the Parish Development Model may help some households, but should not be treated as proof that the underlying jobs problem has been solved.

Bwanika also criticizes public spending priorities, saying debt servicing and corruption reduce resources for schools, healthcare, infrastructure and enterprise support. He calls for stronger institutions, more productive industries, and a national focus on employment creation, framing the issue as a measure of leadership over roughly four decades under President Yoweri Museveni.