Lack of jobs was their bitter message. World Bank statistics (2012) show that Uganda has the youngest population in the world, after Niger. Speaking in Lira last year, Police chief Kale Kayihura said youth unemployment was a time bomb. His message, meant to create debate and unlock ideas to address this plight, seems to have been taken lightly or ignored by authorities.
But wherever there is unemployment and poverty, insecurity, crime, drug abuse and lawlessness are always close by. Youth unemployment currently stands at 83%. Statistics from the ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development indicate that around 400,000 youth are annually released into the job market to compete for the mere 9,000 jobs available.
Ironically, however, there are a lot of uncoordinated government job creation initiatives, almost all steeped in controversy and secrecy. The offices of the President, Prime Minister, as well as government departments and authorities, including Uganda Investment Authority and National Planning Authority, among others, are all running uncoordinated parallel projects.
Sadly, for the majority of the youth, most of these prosperity-for-all programmes and youth entrepreneurship venture fund initiatives and Youth and Employment Productivity Enhancement Funds in the Office of the President are not easily accessible. The frustrated and unemployed youth are a time bomb indeed, and if ignored, might explode at a terrible cost to our country.
George W. Ntambaazi,
Osnabrueck – Germany.
Source Observer
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