By KT Reporter
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called on Uganda’s young people to jealously embrace commercial agriculture as a pathway to national prosperity and poverty eradication.
Speaking on Friday at the belated International Youth Day celebrations at Masindi Golf and Sports Club, Museveni said Uganda cannot achieve socio-economic transformation while most citizens remain stuck in subsistence farming.
“We cannot benefit from agriculture when the population is still farming for subsistence purposes,” the President stressed, adding that political, religious and cultural leaders need to sensitise the population to adopt profit-oriented agriculture to guarantee food and income security.”
Museveni urged farmers to adopt his “four-acre model,” which dedicates one acre to coffee, another to fruit trees, a third to staple food crops, and the fourth to pasture for livestock. He explained that the model also allows room for poultry, piggery, and fish farming, all of which can quickly boost household incomes and create sustainable livelihoods.
The President also aimed at corrupt implementers of the Parish Development Model (PDM), a flagship wealth-creation programme meant to channel resources directly to households. He said his office had received complaints of extortion and diversion of PDM funds.
“Ugandans must demand accountability for every shilling released to their parishes,” he said, adding that proper use of PDM cash could dramatically lift poor households out of poverty by supporting modern agriculture, small industries, and ICT-driven enterprises.
Museveni further decried the theft of medicines from government health facilities, saying it undermines service delivery despite the government’s efforts to stock drugs.“These health facilities are in your villages and parishes,” he reminded citizens. “Take control of them. Ask health workers to account for the drugs allocated; it is your constitutional mandate.”
Gender, Labour and Social Development Minister Betty Amongi highlighted ongoing government initiatives to empower youth socially, politically, and economically, including digital-skills training to boost self-employment.
State Minister for Youth Balaam Barugahara encouraged young people to take advantage of key government programmes such as the Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP), Parish Development Model (PDM), and Emyooga. He noted that in the 2024/25 financial year, Uganda earmarked 58.34 trillion Shillings for national development, with major investments in ICT, education, agriculture, and entrepreneurship.
International partners echoed the call for youth empowerment. Netherlands Ambassador Frederieke Quispel urged greater access to quality education, vocational training, and entrepreneurship grants. UN Resident Coordinator Zulu Leonard encouraged the government to involve young people in local governance and policy-making.
Celebrated under the theme “Youth Advancing Multilateral Cooperation through Technology and Partnerships,” the event highlighted the role of young Ugandans in driving innovation and partnerships in line with Uganda Vision 2040
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