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President Yoweri Museveni has urged youth leaders intent on making an impact on Uganda to prioritize issues that affect the common person.

He made the revelation in a speech read for him by Vice President Jessica Alupo at Makerere University on Monday, April 15, at the Inaugural Guild Leaders’ Summit 2024 held under the theme: "Legacy and Leadership Continuum: The Power of Knowledge and Cross-generational Learning."

The event was officiated by Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, former President of the United Republic of Tanzania.

President Museveni said he is one of the pioneers of organised student leadership in East Africa, adding that he started working on changing the people around him and changing Uganda through the student movement.

He said he, therefore, recognises the importance of student leadership.

“However, it must be anchored on correct ideas by making a correct diagnosis of the problems of society and how to solve these problems. It is, therefore, important for young leaders to understand the challenges or bottlenecks that precipitate social backwardness and engage in efforts to address those challenges,” he said.

Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, former President of the United Republic of Tanzania officiated the event. (All Photos by Juliet Kasirye)

He said as a student movement they were able to identify 10 bottlenecks to Uganda’s development. They include ideological disorientation; a weak State, especially the Army; and under-developed infrastructure such as the railways, and roads.

Others include underdevelopment of the human resources (lack of education and poor health for the population); interference with the private sector (either by policy or by corruption); a fragmented African market on account of colonialism, exporting unprocessed raw materials, and the underdevelopment of the services sector.

Also identified was the underdevelopment of agriculture, and the attack on democracy.

After many years of struggle (peaceful and armed) and analysis, he said the NRM evolved four principles to address the above challenges which include patriotism, Pan-Africanism (working for the Federation of East Africa and beyond) as well as the Common Market of Africa in order to guarantee greater prosperity and strategic security.

“The unity of the market of Uganda is not enough to guarantee our prosperity (a bigger market means greater prosperity) and strategic security (to defend our sovereignty against the imperialists),” he said.

He also mentioned socio-economic transformation "so as to change Uganda from being a peasant society into a middle-class, skilled working-class society".

He said in order to benefit from Pan-Africanism and from Uganda’s unity, the society must undergo a group metamorphosis ─ socio- economic transformation.

“In our case, this means transitioning from the pre-capitalist or subsistence mode of life to the modern money economy and eliminating bystanders or spectators in the drive towards increasing the household incomes and creation of jobs,” he said.

He said as more and more Ugandans wake up and select profitable enterprises in the four sectors of commercial agriculture, industries, services and ICT, production of Ugandan commodities and services will continue to go up.

“Therefore, it is easy to observe that in the long run, our internal market of 45 million people is not enough. Already, with just a little waking up of a few Ugandans, we now have surplus milk, sugar, bananas etc,” he said.

Some of the delegates listen to presenters during the Guild Leaders annual summit at Makerere University on April 15, 2024.

Democracy

On ensuring the development of democracy, he said: “Therefore, I invite the young leaders gathered here today to make a critical study of the above bottlenecks and how to apply the NRM’s principled solutions to these challenges.”

This will enable you to make a meaningful contribution to the socio-economic transformation of your country.

Museveni said in today's rapidly evolving world, knowledge is more than just information—it is the currency of progress.

“It empowers you to innovate, to adapt, and to overcome the challenges that lie ahead. But knowledge is not static; it is dynamic and ever-changing. And it is through cross-generational learning that you can unlock your full potential,” he said.

Highlighting the theme of the day, "Legacy and Leadership Continuum: The Power of Knowledge and Cross-generational Learning," the President said cross-generational learning is not merely about passing down knowledge from elders to youth.

According to him, it is a two-way exchange, a dialogue between experience and innovation. “It is about harnessing the wisdom of age and the energy of youth to forge a brighter future together,” he said.

“In this room, we have leaders from different backgrounds, and different walks of life, each bringing their unique perspective to the table. By bridging the gap between generations, we create a synergy that propels us forward, driving innovation and fostering inclusive growth.”

The President urged the youth to harness the power of knowledge, embrace the spirit of cross-generational learning, and build a legacy of leadership that will stand the test of time.