By Kyeswa Hakim
I will literally characterize Unemployment in a layman’s interpretation of lacking a job to do to bring income as a reward for the labor rendered. Economics has its standard explanation and categorization of unemployment.
In Uganda, unemployment is among the key challenges facing the Bazzukulu, or call it demands that they have and expect their Jajja HE Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to address.
I will differ from many writers, who directly underline this as a challenge without appreciating it as a success factor for the NRM. Then it was the government that paid students at the University because it was a miracle or call it some kind of wonder for one to be at such a higher level of learning.
Some Bazzukulu who are millennials might not easily understand the pride the university students had, but I take the opportunity to invite elders like Rt. Hon. Ruhakana Rugunda the former Prime Minister of Uganda and his colleagues of that time to share about their education life with the Bazzukulu on media stations like UBC, Star TV, and others.
Uganda today has a population of about 48 million people according to the United Nations Statistics with 70% of them being young people. The labor force of Uganda is large enough and a great resource to transform the country to greater heights of economic growth and development.
When NRM took charge in 1986, Jajja who was a vibrant Youth then stated in his address that, “No one should think that what is happening today is a mere change of Guard; it is a fundamental change in the politics of our country”. Jajja HE Museveni who is the Father of the revolution defines Politics as providing good roads, education, hospitals, and other social services to ease the lives of the people.
The 10 and later 15-point program by the NRM/A brought a new dawn and shaped a bright future for Ugandans who had long suffered under the poor leadership of the then regimes. Efforts to fight corruption, and increase access to basic services and economic opportunities have been extended to peasant Ugandans by the NRM government under the stewardship of HE YK Museveni.
Whereas Jobs after school were seen as a pride; professionalism – the NRM earlier knew that the informal sector is the strength of any serious economy and therefore put effort into Agriculture which employed the biggest percentage of the labor force irrespective of its education levels. It needed you to be serious at your farm while rearing animals or growing cash crops like Coffee, Cotton, Cocoa, Sugarcane, Tea, etc.
I tell you agriculture paid off farmers to the extent that, some parents especially men could refuse children to attend school since they had money-making strategies in agriculture. This was wrong because education isn’t primarily about making money. When it turns the case, corruption, and poor public service delivery takes shape.
Since this article is for the Bazzukulu millennials born in 2000 and above inclusive of those born in 1995, they might not easily understand programs like Entandikwa where identified individuals could be given money for start-up in agriculture as a major. Those who well managed the projects are part of the rich Ugandans today. Other programs like OWC took shape and are currently sub-merged in Parish Development Model in addition to Youth Livelihood Program, and Presidential Skills Initiative all targeting the Bazzukulu.
The successful immunization program has secured the lives of many Bazzukulu in the past decades, making them able to access education through UPE, USE, and Higher Education as per their choice to attain advanced skills. As I write now, those are the category of Abazzukulu demanding jobs from their Jajja but a challenge resulting from success.
The Bazzukulu are very innovative and active actors in the informal sector which is the fulcrum for any serious economy. The Bazzukulu are seriously making start-ups and that is where Jajja ushered in with Parish Development Model, Emyooga, YLP, and other funds to avail financial support and skills through the Presidential regional skilling hubs spread across the country to support with the provision of easily accessed finances and impacting skills.
He has repeated on several occasions in his speeches that there are no jobs in Public Service, the only path is taking advantage of the wide agricultural sector through entrepreneurial innovations to add value to 14 production lines. We can create jobs and wealth by ourselves if we choose to actively listen and be disciplined to take on the guidance of Jajja. The Central Region people Baganda have the proverbs “Nantabulirirwa yassabala nagwabumba” and “Ndi Mugezi nga mubulire”. That man who refused advice sailed on the lake with a clay boat. He did not make it to the shore and drowned in the lake. The latter means to be considered wise, you need listen and accept to be guided.
Recently on his sub-regional Tour in Greater Masaka, you all saw a group of Youth whose Patron is the former Vice President HE Edward Ssekandi that is making serious wealth through agriculture. The Bazzukulu can emulate such fellow Bazzukulu to venture into serious business to solve the unemployment challenge. The Bible in the book of Hosea says that my people suffer because they do not know. And the Bible still blames the children of Israel for suffering because they failed to listen.
The Bazzukulu are very lucky that, they have a loving Jajja who is straight informing them on what to do to become rich to live a better life within Uganda. He is giving you all the knowledge and you have to listen and be obedient. The Chinese are seriously taking your Jajja’s advice and are flooding Uganda to implement his guidance after which they create jobs and employ you. This is a big shame you Bazzukulu have to fight off. How can foreigners or extended Bazzukulu use your resources to create jobs and employ you to make wealth for them? “Katonda atusasire” May God have mercy on us.
That is why I believe NRM under President Museveni is seriously addressing unemployment among the Bazzukulu in spite of the challenge of corrupt civil servants and political officials. There is no need for going to serve indecent work in Saudi Arabia or live under such funny weather of colds in Europe and elsewhere when we can make money through the production of raw materials or value-added products on the market which Jajja is seriously securing for you across the region, Africa, and globally.
The Author is the Head of Online Media – Office of the National Chairman, Kyambogo.
Email: [email protected]
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