Gen Museveni to Gen Z: Focus on Pan-African unity, not local riots

Jinja, Uganda: President Yoweri Museveni has challenged Africa’s youth to shift their energies from local grievances to advancing Pan-African integration and economic transformation, saying the continent’s future prosperity depends on regional unity and a shift away from subsistence living.

The President revealed this as he delivered a lecture to 52 senior military officers attending the Senior Command and Staff Course at the Uganda Senior Command and Staff College in Kimaka, Jinja on Thursday, June 26, 2025.

Gen Museveni said the officers raised questions around youth unrest, patriotism, Pan-Africanism, wealth creation, and sustainable peace, issues he described as central to Africa’s development agenda.

“The ‘Gen Z’ should not be rioting over local grievances but should be agitating for East African integration,” the President said through his official X account after the engagement, warning that Uganda’s domestic market is too small to support industrialisation without broader regional markets.

Mr Museveni emphasised that Africa’s abundant resources and young population constitute a “massive opportunity if guided correctly,” citing the need to monetise economies and foster large-scale production.

“This was the rationale behind advocating for Pan-Africanism, economic integration, and political unity,” he said.

The Ugandan leader further challenged leaders across the continent to prioritise transforming subsistence economies into monetised systems that enable sustainable development and peace. “As we always preach, the path to prosperity lies in producing and selling a good or service,” he added.

Museveni’s remarks come as Uganda and its neighbours continue to debate the pace of regional integration under frameworks such as the East African Community, which aims to deepen political and economic ties among member states.