The Secretary General of the Pan-African Women Organisation (PAWO), Grace Kabayo, says Africa’s quest for independence remains incomplete because of weak regional cooperation, leaders who put personal interests ahead of the public good, and continued dependence on foreign powers.
Speaking at the Annual Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership Symposium at Makerere University, Kabayo said Africans have lost some of the unity and collective purpose that drove the independence struggles, allowing colonial-era divisions and economic dependence to persist.She challenged voters to take responsibility for the quality of leadership on the continent, arguing that some sacrifice their electoral power for handouts instead of demanding leaders who address community needs. “Before we blame the leaders and the so-called politicians, let us look at us who vote them in. That is something we should look at next time when we want good leadership that will actually look at what the community needs other than ‘what do I want?’” Kabayo said.
She recalled how Africans united across linguistic and geographical differences during the struggle against colonial rule, saying the same collective determination was needed to advance the continent’s development.
“Our ancestors had no phones, no cars, but they communicated. Women and men trekked. They had no common language, but they were united by the desire to see Africa free,” she said.
Kabayo said the weakening of communal responsibility, including the traditional role of communities in raising children, had contributed to declining accountability and cooperation among African countries.
She cited differences in national policies and priorities within the East African Community as evidence of the challenge, arguing that countries often pursue their interests without sufficient regard for regional commitments.
“So what happens? You have a rotten community of independent bad manners. That is why we cannot actually sit and say East African Community, this is what we want, these are the grades, this is what is expected of us,” she said.
Kabayo also questioned why colonial-era borders continue to restrict the movement of people and trade, despite regional integration efforts.
She pointed to travel restrictions and non-tariff barriers in East Africa, contrasting them with the annual Great Migration, during which millions of wildebeest, zebras and other wildlife move between Tanzania and Kenya.“If you can’t do that, then which charge visa fees on humans coming to do business in your country?” she asked.
On foreign influence in African affairs, Kabayo argued that external powers continue to exercise influence partly because African leaders and citizens allow it through their business dealings and decisions that favour personal gain over collective interests.
“When we talk about infiltration of the West or the external infiltration. Who receives them? Who trades with them? It’s you and I,” she said.
Kabayo urged Africans to make choices that serve their communities rather than individual financial interests.
She said the pursuit of personal commissions and the failure to build sufficient domestic production had undermined self-reliance, limited trade opportunities and constrained job creation.
Kabayo called for a change in mindset, particularly among young people, urging them to consider how modest resources could be used to establish and grow businesses rather than relying solely on opportunities abroad.
She criticised the recruitment of Ugandans for overseas employment through payments to intermediaries, arguing that some of the money could instead support small enterprises at home.“We used to complain about slave trade. Before, it was compulsory, it was actually, against our will. But we are busy exporting you guys for external labour. We are human trafficking you,” she said.
Kabayo said the trend contradicted the ideals of former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere, who viewed the independence of individual African countries as incomplete without freedom and progress across the continent.
“We have let Mwalimu Julius Nyerere down, who surrendered everything, his country, his whatever, and said, ‘No, it’s for all Africans; let’s use it, let’s fight for independence. It means nothing for Tanzania to be independent if the rest of the countries are not,” she said.
The symposium, held under the theme “Borrowing from the Past, Building the Future: Reimagining Pan-African Leadership for a Sustainable Future,” examined the values that united Africa’s independence generation and the lessons they hold for today’s leaders and young people.
The discussion followed a question posed by Dr Gardner Rwakiseta, co-founder of Mind Heritage, on what the independence generation possessed that today’s generation may have lost, and how Africa could use the opportunities available today to advance self-determination, development and unity.
Current and former students cited foreign interference, dependence on external financing for national budgets, limited control over export prices and the influence of Western powers in reviewing national policies as evidence that Africa’s economic and political independence remains constrained.
The main speakers agreed with the concerns raised. Daniel Ongom Azik, chairperson of the National Youth Council, urged young people to protect the gains achieved by earlier generations. “We should ensure that this generation holds onto the gains the Nyerere generation fought for: independence, unity,” he said.
Dr Nansozi Muwanga, executive director of the Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre, said the two-day symposium was not merely a commemoration of Nyerere’s 104th birthday but an opportunity to reflect on the values and vision that shaped his leadership and that of other African independence leaders.
She cited President Yoweri Museveni’s commitment to the legacy of leaders such as Nyerere, Zambia’s Kenneth Kaunda and Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah, who advocated African unity as a foundation for prosperity. Muwanga said the symposium’s theme challenged each generation to consider what it should pass on to those who follow.
“Nyerere’s legacy reminds us that leadership is service, African unity matters, and the common good must come before personal interests,” she said.
Kasozi-Mulindwa Saturninus, chairperson of the Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre board and director of programmes and student affairs at the Uganda Management Institute, expressed optimism that the discussions would help young people draw lessons from the past and approach Africa’s future with renewed confidence.
“We are borrowing and learning from the past to build the future. I have no doubt that, at the end of this symposium, especially the young generation, we will have learned lessons from the past and be able to look to the future with greater hope,” he said-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
