Raymond Baguma and Henry Mukasa
1 December 2008
Kampala — THE opposition is to blame for the high unemployment among the youth, President Yoweri Museveni has said.
The political opposition did this, he argued, by sabotaging investors. "We work hard to attract investors but the opposition such as the Forum for Democratic Change and Uganda People's Congress, fight the investors," he said.
The plan by Indian investor Mehta to expand the Lugazi-based Sugar Corporation of Uganda would have created employment for youth, but the plan was frustrated by the FDC, Museveni said.
Three people died last year in a protest against the Government's plan to give away part of Mabira Forest to Mehta, to expand the sugarcane plantation.
Addressing a rally at Nabweru sub-county headquarters yesterday, Museveni cited a foreign investor who earns sh10b annually from a 100-acre greenhouse flower farm in Mairye estates, Busukuma sub-county and employees 850 people.
"When we attract such investors, we are creating employment," he added. "They (opposition) do not know that when you fight such investors, you are failing 1,000 job-seekers."
The President was campaigning for Robert Kasule Ssebunya, the NRM candidate in the Kyadondo North bye-election.
The vacancy was created when former agriculture state minister Kibirige Ssebunya passed away recently. The other candidates are Regina Bakitte (DP), Pollyne Nakabuye (FDC), Sentamu Sewandage (PPP), Kizito Nsubuga (independent) and Amina Nakiyaga. The elections are slated for Thursday.
At the rally, Vice-President Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, the Wakiso district NRM chairperson, introduced about 100 youth said to have defected from DP and FDC to the NRM.
Earlier in the day, Museveni opened the Nansana Market complex and commissioned the tarmacking of the Nansana-Nabweru Road. He also commissioned the Nabweru Health Centre III and launched immunisation there.
At Nansana trading centre, Museveni challenged the youth to pursue relevant courses, especially vocational subjects, to create employment.
Campaigning on Sunday, Museveni said political decisions must be carefully taken to avoid a slide-back to anarchy.
Citing the short-lived 1962 alliance between UPC and Kabaka Yekka political party, Museveni said the opportunistic marriage partly led to the turmoil that rocked the country.
"It forced us the young who didn't commit any crime to go to the bush to remove the opportunists," he said. "We know the outcome of that: bloodshed, tears and destruction. The bones still lie in mass graves."
Museveni said after the liberation war, the Movement restored democracy. "Don't play with that vote-power. That could be a recipe for disaster."
On Sunday Museveni commissioned a gravity flow water project at Lwadda-Matugga. State minister for water Janet Namuyangu said the 7.8km-project had connected 300 families over a 21km-network.
Namuyangu said the safe water coverage which was at 18% in 1986 now stands at 63%. She said while 30 towns were connected to piped water then, over 146 now have it.
Museveni said low revenue collection had hindered government projects because donors were not reliable.
He said at sh4,000b revenue, government can implement most projects without begging.
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