President Yoweri Museveni has called on the youth to take the wealth creation issue seriously saying by acquiring skills that are marketable; they can create employment for themselves and for others.
“We have taken time to tell people about wealth creation but people think it is cheap politics and mere talking. Wealth is found in four sectors: commercial agriculture, factories, services and the Information Communication and Technology sector. Wealth for one person means jobs for other people,” he said.
Mr Museveni was yesterday speaking at the pass out of youth entrepreneurs from Ntungamo district. A total of 11,735 youths under the ‘Free and Rich program’ were passed out at the function held at Kyamate Secondary School. The youth have been empowered with business and entrepreneurial skills by coordinators through workshops held daily in every Sub County, parish and cell in Ntungamo district.
Free and Rich Uganda is an initiative that was started by the First Lady and Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Mrs Janet Kataaha Museveni to help the youth in Ntungamo acquire entrepreneurial skills and start businesses to create employment opportunities and also fight poverty.
The President cautioned the youth against waiting for public service jobs saying those are few and that public service sector could not employ them all. “The public service sector has no wealth and there are few jobs,” he said.
He said that government would increase funding to the wealth funds so as to chase poverty in the country and advised the youth to task their elected Members of Parliament to promise to increase funding to the wealth creation funds.
“There are four wealth creation funds: NAADS, Women Fund, Youth Fund and Microfinance fund. You should ask the MPs to promise to increase the funding to the wealth funds before they start asking for salary increases, “he said.
President Museveni said he would prioritize the wealth funds in his next term of office.
“We are going to prioritize the wealth funds as we did with the electricity and road funds. We are going to put 1000 billion shillings in NAADs from 200 billion shillings. The youth and women funds will each get 234 billion while the microfinance fund will get 180 billion shillings,” he said.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mrs. Museveni thanked the youth in Ntungamo for embracing the program.
“I want to thank the project leaders and coordinators for providing a good example to their colleagues and empowering them. Let Ntungamo be known for such development programs and not bad things,” she said.
Aijuka Rodgers, the Director Free and Rich Uganda thanked the First Lady for choosing him to lead the program and for supporting the youth to start income generating projects. He said the program would expand to other parts of the country and teach the youth how to start income generating projects and grow them into big enterprises.
Later, the President presented certificates to the youth that were passed out.
The function was also attended by the Bishop of South Ankole Diocese Nathan Ahimbisibwe, the national coordinator for patriotism in the office of the President Lt Col Henry Matsiko, Gerald Karuhanga, Youth MP Western Uganda and Stephen Tashobya, MP Kajara County, Ntungamo District.
