Museveni urges youth to resist divisive politics, ideologies

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has counselled youths against divisive politics and ideologies, saying that this would only make Uganda go backwards.

"There were Yiira youths in this region saying that they wanted to break off from Uganda and make their own republic but I cannot allow it. Even if you wanted to remove a kilogram off Uganda, I cannot allow it. This would be against our plan of creating a united state of Africa," he said.

The President was on Tuesday speaking during a youth leaders' meeting in Kasese district shortly after he met the region's leaders in a campaign meeting.

On the issue of the youth livelihood fund, President Museveni noted that the youths must elect leaders who will be able to push for more allocation of youth funds to continue helping them in their ventures.

Museveni was happy to inform the youth that the government was in the process of setting up factories to help in value addition for their products and to increase employment in the country. He cited a leather factory being set up in Kawumu, saying that once this was completed, there would be no need to export leather or to import from China to make shoes.

Chris Baryomunsi, the NRM vice chairperson for the Western region encouraged the youths to elect Museveni for he would be able to deliver, advance the agenda of the country regardless of age.

In a memorandum presented by Maurice Mulindwa, the chairperson of the NRM Youth League, the youth appreciated the President for the Emyooga programs, immunising them, demonstrating and offering a platform between them and the NRM government and for the youth capital venture fund under the ministry of gender, labour and social development.

"You are not securing your own future, you are securing our future. We want to be agents of change because we believe in the leadership of development and not divisive politics, we pledge and vow to join you in securing our future," he said.

Talking of the skilling centre established in Kasese, the youth requested that they be points of contact in the centres such that they can easily air out the needs of the youths in the centre to the government.

The youth urged the government to procure value addition machinery to help in making more products such as starch from cassava to increase their household income.

The youth leaders assured President Museveni of a landslide victory in the forthcoming presidential elections.