Pallisa, Uganda: Residents of Kibale and Pallisa District have applauded Members of Parliament for addressing rising drug abuse among young people and supporting the construction of St. Jude Catholic Church Opogona.
The calls were made during a fundraising drive held on Sunday at Opogono Primary School in Kibale Town Council, where leaders, religious figures and community members discussed the growing challenge of drug abuse alongside the need for economic opportunities for young people.
Kibale County MP Okwii Constantine and Pallisa District Woman MP Catherine Achola were commended for speaking openly about the impact of drug and substance abuse on families and communities.
Okwii said some young people had become involved in marijuana, opium and excessive alcohol consumption, warning that the trend was undermining families and community safety.
“These boys have parents who are watching them smoke marijuana, opium, waragi in every trading centre. Some authorities know but give illegal respect to these criminals,” Okwii said.
He said he was prepared to support tougher action against people involved in criminal activities, even if such measures could cost him political support.
“I will do it, whether it means losing votes from the notorious youth who are now a problem to the community. When these culprits are apprehended and prosecuted, they will go to prison and in less than three years come back as disciplined people rather than thugs,” Okwii said.
Achola, meanwhile, emphasised economic empowerment as part of the response to youth unemployment and drug abuse.
She urged young people to form groups and establish income-generating enterprises, beginning with modern brick processing.
“Please young people, form groups and get an enterprise and as leaders we shall give you all the support. I will be happy when the youth challenge me to buy for them modern brick processing equipment,” Achola said.
She said she would begin by supporting women’s groups, noting that many women already have a culture of saving through weekly associations.
Achola also called for greater integrity among people who identify themselves with religious institutions. “Let us not give the church a bad image. It puzzles me when a person arrested for a criminal act possesses a religious name,” she said.
Leaders link drug abuse to family and education challenges
Former Kibale Town Council LC3 Chairperson Ocheng Simon said tackling drug abuse and youth crime would require cooperation between families, leaders, security agencies and the wider community.
Akena Rose of Kibale Town Council described the difficulties faced by parents dealing with young people involved in substance abuse.
She said some mothers were being threatened by their sons in the early hours of the morning as they demanded food, while others had become involved in theft and disruption of community activities.
“They don’t do domestic work, they gatecrash functions, even steal, and parents are blamed. I agree with the legislators — arrest them, maybe they will sober,” Akena said.
Opatana Albert of Opwateta Sub-county said some trading centres had become known for places where young people openly use opium and marijuana.
Vincent Oluka Epoketom, LC3 Chairperson of Kameke Sub-county, linked the problem to school dropouts, questioning why many children who start primary school do not complete the cycle. “In P1 we have 130 pupils, in P3 90, but P7 has less than 40. Where have the rest gone?” Oluka asked.
He said some young people were also pressuring their parents to divide and sell family land, raising concerns about the long-term impact of unemployment and substance abuse on household livelihoods.
The event also saw leaders raise funds for the construction of St. Jude Catholic Church Opogona under Kamuge-Olinga Catholic Parish in the Tororo Archdiocese. The organisers set a target of Shs30 million.
Woman MP Achola contributed items worth about Shs1.3 million, including groundnuts, cassava, turkeys and a goat, as well as Shs250,000 for the choir and mothers’ drama group.
She also bought 100 kilogrammes of cassava worth Shs200,000 for Parish Priest Fr. Acquinas Outa, a turkey worth Shs150,000 and matooke worth Shs50,000, saying the first farming season had been poor.
Okwii raised Shs5 million through an auction of items, most of which he left with the church to resell and raise additional funds. “Building the church and serving our people should be our concern as Christians. I called people to pick items they can afford so they could be part of this exercise,” Okwii said.
Fr. Outa blessed the MPs and other contributors, praying for their protection, health, care and provision.
The fundraiser also provided a platform for political reconciliation, with Okwii hosting all declared aspirants for the Kibale County parliamentary seat, including Olebo Emmanuel Odeke, who served as master of ceremonies despite previous criticism between the two politicians.
“My brother Olebo overstepped on my toes with verbal attacks, but I am happy we are here together,” Okwii said.
Okwii said efforts to establish Kibale as a county separate from Butebo and retain it within Pallisa should not be viewed as the work of one individual, but as a collective effort.
Olebo said Kibale needed the contribution of all its leaders and urged politicians to focus on development rather than personal disagreements.
The event ended with renewed calls for collective action against drug abuse, greater youth economic empowerment and continued support for the construction of the church.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative news platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp and on Twitter (X) for realtime updates.
