Rapid population growth chews up jobs

By Cornes Lubangakene

Rapid population growth in Uganda has constrained the capacity of the economy to generate sufficient employment for the increasing labourforce.

This was revealed by Francis Mondo Kyateka, the assistant commissioner for youth and children affairs in the gender, labour and social development ministry, during a youth dialogue at Acholi Inn in Gulu on Thursday.

Kyateka said Uganda produces 1.2 million children per annum, yet the economy is not growing at the same pace.

“We are not going to solve the problem in this country unless we start producing children we can take care of. People who are not ready to look after the children they produce have no business doing the things that bring children into the world,” Kyateka said.

He urged parents to encourage their children to study courses that are on demand in the labour market.

“We must look at the labour market structure and what is demanded. A child doing a vocational course can be much better than a person with a degree,” Kyateka said.

The dialogue was organised by the International Alert under the theme: ‘Assessing the youth unemployment and post-conflict development in northern Uganda’.

The national female youth Member of Parliament, Monica Amoding, said the country should not look at youth unemployment as a burden, but as a challenge and opportunity to steer national development.

“To channel our development to the right direction, we should use the young people’s energy and guide instead of blaming them,” Amoding said.

In a related development, Adjumani resident district commissioner Agnes Akello blamed politicians for using the youth as disposable items, hence discouraging them from being involved in creating jobs for themselves.