Stop careless spending, Museveni tells youth

President Yoweri Museveni has called on youth to uphold and protect the African cultural heritage and not be swayed by the western world which he described as “sick’’.

“The West doesn’t have spectacles to see the difference between a woman and a man. They are sick. The culture heritage must be maintained but others like our traditional subsistence methods that have claimed over 68% of the population, must be changed,” Mr Museveni said.

The President made these remarks while meeting youth representatives from across the country under their umbrella body the National Youth Council in Jinja District yesterday.

Mr Museveni advised the youth to advance in what he termed as “social discipline” by reducing on unnecessary spending on luxuries and big parties. He also wondered which money the youth splash in bars yet they claim not to have money.

“You go to bars and they are full, you go to where they are roasting pigs and the places are full. This is social indiscipline and it is part of the problem we are facing,” Mr Museveni.

In a statement issued by his media team, Mr Museveni emphasized the need to be economically disciplined and pledged government support for youth who will form Saccos to engage in productive activities.

“Youth should know that when speaking to me, they are speaking to someone who was once a former youth. I was a youth but extraordinary youth, who was better than my elders at the time. I preached a change to modern methods of farming when people in Ankole still believed that commercial farming was only for the elite,” he said.

He advised the youth leaders to start with themselves by changing their general attitude which will help transform those under their leadership.

“Even if it means sensitising the people on changing to the money economy through Twitter. I can also tweet and I will be there tweeting with you,” the President said.

The President’s meeting with the youth was a subsequent event of the celebrations that took place on Monday where Uganda joined the rest of the world in celebrating the International Youth Day which took place at Gonza Primary School, Kagoma in Buwenge Sub-County, Jinja District.

The president was represented by the Vice President Edward Ssekandi who officiated the celebrations.

This year’s theme was Transforming education. However at national level, it was Transforming education for responsible citizenship and employment creation.