Hoima, (UG):- President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has commended the Catholic Church for mentoring the youths and mobilising them into wealth creation ventures.
“I’m very glad that the Catholic Church is enforcing what the government has been trying to do by turning you into wealth creators. You shouldn’t be just spectators,” he said.
The President made the remarks today while officially closing the National Catholic Youth Conference at Our Lady of Lourdes Bujumbura Cathedral, Hoima City.
The Conference which started on 10th December and ended on 15th December 2024, was attended by over 15,000 youths from across the Catholic Dioceses of Uganda.
President Museveni also expressed gratitude to the Catholic Church for organizing this Conference, saying that mentoring young people is very good because when they go without mentorship, it may lead to dangerous consequences in the country.
“When you talk of the youths, don’t talk of only biology, you must also add ideology and spirituality. This is what the Catholic Church is doing and I’m very happy with that,” he said.
“When Uganda got Independence, all the leaders were young people, the only person above 40 was Nadiope. I was watching them but I was younger than them, but those people failed very badly so being young without ideology and spirituality is not enough, it can actually lead to very dangerous consequences.”
He noted that in the past, Uganda faced a lot of problems because the Church was only preaching the gospel and forgetting the socio-economic issues affecting the citizens.
“I’m glad the church is talking about our socio-economic issues. Remember the four missions of Jesus, he preached the gospel, healed the sick, fed the hungry and worked with his own hands in the carpentry of Joseph,” he said.
“In the past, there was a mistake, for the Churches to only talk about spirituality so I’m very glad to see the shift in the churches and the mosques to address the socio-economic issues.”
President Museveni also cautioned the youths against politics of identity, saying it’s a hurdle to national development.
“One of the misdiagnoses in the past was to think that identity was more important than interests. That was the biggest disaster for many parts of the world including Uganda. Yes, identity is important but it’s personal to you, it should not be externalised to conflict with other people,” the President noted.
“Now that’s how we came in, the former youths, we are wealth creators, I’m a cattle keeper and cultivator. As a cattle keeper, I produce milk, beef and as a cultivator, I produce bananas and other crops. Now anybody who buys my products is supporting my prosperity. The Banyankore don’t buy from me because they produce similar products like me. The people who actually support me are from other areas. When you push the line of identity and you forget about interests, you are an enemy of yourself because if there’s no Uganda and Africa, there’s no way you can be prosperous.”
To overcome the issue of politics of identity, President Museveni emphasized that the youths should embrace the four core principles of the NRM which include Patriotism, Pan-Africanism, Socio-economic transformation and democracy.
“Therefore, the first thing I want to mention to you is NRM ideology, that’s why we tell you about patriotism- love Uganda, why? Because you need it for your own good if you want to be prosperous, Pan-Africanism, why? Because you need Africa for your prosperity, Socio-economic Transformation and democracy,” he said.
President Museveni further urged the youths to fight poverty through joining the money economy.
“Up to 1962, only 9 percent of the people were in the money economy. When we came in and kept talking and struggling, by 2013, only 32 percent were in the money economy and others were working only for the stomach,” he said.
“When we checked the last census, we found that at least 67 percent of the people are now in the money economy, 33 percent are still outside the money economy. But the danger is that even those in the money economy, go there without ekibaro,” the President expounded.
In the sector of commercial agriculture, President Museveni recommended that the youths, especially those with small landholdings, should grow high value crops like coffee to get high returns.
“In our 1996 Manifesto, we recommended 7 activities like coffee, fruits, dairy, food for the family, piggery, poultry and fish farming for those near the wetlands.”
Apart from commercial agriculture, the President sensitised the youths that they can also take part in other sectors of the economy such as manufacturing, services and ICT to create wealth.
The Prime Minister, Rt. Hon Robinah Nabbanja thanked the President for gracing the event. “Mr. President, I want to thank you for the developments in the Bunyoro sub-region like the roads, Kabalega Airport, Hoima Stadium, among others,” Rt. Hon. Nabbanja said.
“This is a very important youth conference, and it has drawn youths from all over the country. I want to thank the young people from the Catholic Church for accepting to be here and be trained,” she said.
The Minister of State for Public Service, Hon. Mary Grace Mugasa thanked President Museveni for the generous contribution towards the success of the conference.
The Bishop of Hoima Catholic Diocese, Rt. Rev. Vincent Kirabo said the National Youth Conference is a religious festival that gathers young people from all over the country in one place annually.
“It creates a vibrant platform for the youths aged between the age 12 and 35 years to share various perspectives of life, exchange ideas and tackle modern challenges and opportunities while appreciating the achievements already put in place by church and government,” he said.
“Your Excellency, throughout this Conference, the youths have been empowered to actively participate in the socio-economic development of the country.”
He also extended gratitude to the political leadership for the guidance and support towards the success of the conference.
He informed the President that the Hoima Diocese is involved in various development projects, one of them being the construction of a specialized hospital for women and children as well as agriculture.
“I thank you, Your Excellency, for loving the youths, may God bless you,” the Bishop said.
The conference was also attended by Ministers, Members of Parliament, religious leaders, among others.
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