A screengrab from Bukedde TV shows President Museveni speaking during the Yiiya Ssente Business Forum at Kololo. (Credit: Nicholas Oneal)
By Joseph Kizza
KAMPALA - President Yoweri Museveni has called on Ugandan youth to have initiative and take advantage of the available opportunities in the various sectors of the economy.
Speaking on Saturday, he advised young people – especially fresh graduates – to steer away from irresponsible lifestyles.
This was at the third edition of Bukedde’s Yiiya Ssente Business Forum at Kololo Airstrip in Kampala that attracted a huge crowd of business-keen people.
The previous two fora were held last year on March 8 and September 13 – and attracted similarly massive audiences.
Attending the event for the first time, President Museveni spoke moments before his arrival – at 11.45am local time (EAT) – that was met with cheers from a group that braved stifling temperatures.
He was received by State minister for fisheries Ruth Nankabirwa, Vision Group chief executive Robert Kabushenga and other government dignitaries.
The President was then led up to the podium after addresses from two of the forum’s keynote speakers Hajji Bulaimu Kibirige aka BMK, the proprietor of Hotel Africana and Dr. Maggie Kigozi, the director of Crown Beverages.
Flashing a thumbs-up sign, Museveni apologized for his bad throat day before thanking the organisers for making the event happen.
He told the youth to learn to work “because you have people like [Hajji Bulaimu] Kibirige to learn from.”
But to adopt this mindset, the President explained, many young people must do away with leading irresponsible lives like that of smoking, excessive drinking and prostitution.
“I have never drunk [alcohol] in my life because I do not want to endanger my life,” he said, adding that smoking is as dangerous to any young person, for it stunts productivity and initiative.
His was a reiteration of earlier advice by BMK, who told young people to avoid gambling and instead engage themselves in enterprising ventures.
‘Be dishonest’
One message that kept resurfacing from each keynote speaker was that of seeking (professional) knowledge as a vital ingredient for any business person.
On her part, Dr. Kigozi, who is now a farmer after retiring from civil service, advised that to climb up the echelons of success, a business person should to begin with seek as much information as possible.
“There are very many places you can get relevant information from, like, NAADS [National Agricultural Advisory Services], Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Internet etc,” she said.
While she encouraged women to engage their husbands in business to forge smooth operation, President Museveni was critical of parents who organize lavish graduation parties for their children, advising them to instead give them that very money to start up a productive venture.
In the same tone, the statesman criticized people who acquire loans to organize needlessly expensive weddings. He talked of his own wedding with wife Janet Museveni where only a handful of people were invited.
Being honest and trustworthy will help you prosper and create long-lasting business relationships with other people, Museveni advised his audience.
But if the whole population is to prosper, he argued, every househould that owns land must be encouraged to produce for both consumption (subsistence) and for sale (income).
The president pointed out that currently, 68% of households are engaged in subsistence farming, adding that the mindset must be changed if poverty is to the alleviated.
More to follow . . .