Government unveils Shs265b plan to create work for jobless youth
National Youth Council members during their meeting in Mukono District yesterday. At the opening, they booed Youth minister Ronald Kibuule for allegedly calling them hooligans. Photo by Geoffrey Sseruyange
As Uganda joins the rest of the world to mark the International Youth Day today, a historic meeting by the National Youth Council yesterday returned harmony to a group riddled with endless disagreements over leadership and money.
The government used the first meeting in five years to announce a proposed new Shs265 billion, a five-year programme that seeks to combat poverty and unemployment among the youth.
The meeting took place in Mukono District. The Youth Livelihoods Programme is a creation of Mr Pius Bigirimana, the new permanent secretary in the Gender ministry.
He was given a standing ovation by the Youth Council for championing a project that seeks to highlight the plight of the young people.
As soon as Mr Bigirimana entered, the hotel room turned into a “chamber”, the youth rose up and started singing “our man Bigirimana”, “our friend”, “the man of the people”, clapping and shouting “Bigirimana oyee”.
Youth leaders booed their minister, Mr Ronald Kibuule, over allegations that he called them “hooligans” and vowed to ‘die’ with parliamentarians whom they accused of “disturbing” Mr Bigirimana.
The Public Accounts Committee report indicted Mr Bigirimana for failing to stop the theft of donor money, a claim he denies. Mr Bigirimana insists he was a whistleblower in the scam that took place in the Prime Minister’s office. Addressing the meeting, Mr Bigirimana told youth leaders that the livelihoods programme starts this year, adding that it would be implemented in all 112 districts covering both the educated and uneducated.
Each interest group project will be financed to a tune of Shs12.5m.
Under the new programme, dubbed by opposition leaders as President Museveni’s campaign tool for 2016, the livelihood element constitutes 50 per cent of the total financing.
Mr Bigirimana said the money will be interest free and no collateral will be required.
He appealed for “reconciliation” and “forgiveness”, adding that the funds would be channeled directly to the beneficiaries.
The Gender PS also said the Office of the Inspector General of Government and his ministry will monitor the project implementation to ensure accountability. “We do not want ghost groups; we want real groups who are committed to fighting poverty and unemployment to improve their lives,” he said.
Youth warned their representatives in Parliament who were in attendance as ex-officio members, that whoever points a finger at Mr Bigirimana on allegations that he failed to protect public funds stolen in OPM where he was an accounting officer “will be cursed by the young generation”.
Mr Bigirimana said the money will empower the groups economically through projects such as farming and carpentry. Mr Kibuule appealed to the youth to bury the hatchet, saying :“Forgive me if I messed up things. I am here to do my role as a minister I request you to listen to me.”
