Open Letter to H.E. Gen Kaguta Museveni; When is our FUTURE secured?

By Akansasira Junior Victor

DEAR JAJA, Mr. President !!

I write to you not with malice, but with deep concern and a sense of patriotic duty as one of your “Bazzukulu.” Please find from your busy schedule, read and reply to my letter. I could not pass through your official offices because I knew you would never see it like other letters I have been sending to you but…….vain!

For decades, you have promised to secure our future, yet the youth of Uganda continue to live in a state of despair, uncertainty, and frustration.

Mr. President, the unemployment rate among the majority youth, as reported by UBOS in 2024, is a staggering 64%, and the figure remains unchanged in 2025. This means that the majority of Uganda’s youthful population is stuck in a cycle of unemployment and hopelessness, with dreams deferred indefinitely. What future are we securing if the present is already lost?

Let us examine the government programs that have been rolled out to “uplift” the youth:

1. Emyooga Program: Politicized to the core, benefiting mostly those with connections and leaving the majority of the poor youth excluded.
2. Parish Development Model (PDM): While touted as a game-changer, it has only enriched the already privileged, leaving the youth on the sidelines because of bureaucracy.
3. Presidential Initiative on Skilling: While the skills imparted are valuable, there is no sustainability. After training, most youth go home to struggle for startup capital that doesn’t exist.
4. Youth Livelihood Program (YLP): Plagued by bureaucracy and corruption, it fails to reach the intended beneficiaries. I think it even died on its birth.
5. Youth Venture Fund: A promising initiative that has become inaccessible to the average young Ugandan due to politics and unnecessary red tape.
6. Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), I will leave it for others to talk about.

Mr. President I want to assure you that all these programs sound great on paper but have little to no real impact on the ground. They are riddled with inefficiency, corruption, and political manipulation. Maybe to ask, Mr. President, are these programs designed to uplift the youth, or are they mere tools for political propaganda?

Attention, Mr. President, I appeal to you to respect and empower youth parliamentary positions. Why not make the youth parliamentary seats free from financial burdens, allowing deserving young leaders to compete based on merit and passion? Furthermore, appointing the Minister of Youth Affairs from the five elected youth Members of Parliament could provide genuine representation, as these individuals understand the concerns of the youth firsthand.

Sir, allow me to address your habit of making pledges without follow-up. Across Uganda, you have made countless promises—roads, schools, factories, and jobs—that never materialize. Are these empty promises meant to placate the masses temporarily? People with genuine concerns are blocked by those around you. Have you considered that these individuals may be sabotaging your legacy for their own benefit?

Not to forget, Your Excellency – let us discuss the epidemic of corruption. Why, are thieves of public funds promoted or transferred instead of punished? I hear you talking about Treason- Court Martials issues with much headache. Why can’t these individuals face Court Martial for treason? After all, isn’t corruption a form of treason? When billions of shillings meant for healthcare, roads, or schools are stolen, it jeopardizes the lives of Ugandans and cripples our nation. Imagine how many youths could be empowered through industrialization if these stolen funds were used properly.

Other nations, like Singapore and South Korea, took drastic measures to fight corruption, including prosecuting and even executing corrupt officials. Why can’t Uganda take a similar hard stance? Or are the thieves protected because they are beneficiaries of the system?

Mr. President, corruption has become a deeply entrenched culture. We have numerous anti-corruption agencies—the IGG, CID, Anti-Corruption Unit, SHACU among others—but they seem to exist only to drain taxpayers’ money while achieving little. Shall we, the youth, praise this bureaucratic irony?

Finally, I want to ask you, honestly and with a lot of humility Mr. President:

1. When will the youth of Uganda see a tangible future instead of empty rhetoric?
2. Why are patriotic youth who fight against corruption and impunity labelled as enemies of the government?
3. What steps will you take to ensure government programs truly benefit the youth and are not hijacked by political elites?
4. What legacy do you wish to leave for your grandchildren? Will they inherit a nation of hope or a wasteland of broken dreams?
5. Are you really addressing the questions that put to the bush, have you not forgotten them?? Really??

Mr. President, the youth of Uganda are not asking for charity—we are asking for a chance. A chance to work, innovate, and contribute to our nation. Please, find time to read this letter and reflect on the cries of the youth. The future is slipping away, and history will judge us all by the actions we take today.