Ziza Bafana urges government to invest in talent and sports

Singer Ziza Bafana (Richard Kasendwa) has appealed to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and the new government to invest more in talent development and sports as a way of fighting youth unemployment in Uganda.

According to the singer, many Ugandan youths are naturally gifted and can earn a living through their talents if given the necessary support and opportunities.

Bafana urged the government to focus on developing the entertainment and sports sectors instead of supporting only a few individual artists. He argued that talent can create employment opportunities for many young people across the country.

According to Ziza Bafana, the government has largely concentrated on supporting a small number of musicians, particularly those associated with the ruling NRM party.

"The President has been considering only a few musicians like Bebe Cool, Eddy Kenzo, Catherine Kusasira, Ronald Mayinja, Ragga Dee, and others who sing for NRM, and they are paid huge sums of money while other artists are left out," Ziza Bafana said.

The singer suggested that such funds should instead be invested collectively into the music industry through development programs, talent academies, and projects aimed at uplifting young creatives nationwide.

"That money can be used as joint music development funding to build industry academies and uplift talent. Ugandans are very talented and can market their country through talent instead of focusing only on constructing big buildings, which is not possible for everyone now," he added.

Ziza Bafana further emphasized that supporting the entertainment industry as a whole would contribute more to national development than offering financial support to individual artists.

He also expressed concern over rising unemployment among Ugandan youths, noting that many graduates fail to secure jobs and end up seeking casual labor in Middle Eastern countries.

"The government should put structures in place that can reduce unemployment among the youth. Many young people finish school and fail to get jobs, and they end up going to Middle Eastern countries for casual labor. Some Ugandan women are deceived with promises of jobs abroad and later end up being exploited in bars and other places," he said.

According to Ziza Bafana, Uganda is blessed with hardworking and talented people, but many citizens lack access to capital and investment opportunities that could help them start businesses and improve their livelihoods.