Members of the Buganda Kingdom Lukiiko (parliament) have expressed their intention to request government approval for the mandatory enforcement of hard work and discipline among the youth, citing concerns about rising idleness and criminality.
During a three-day retreat held at Maria Flo Hotel in Masaka City, representatives from Buganda Parliament’s various counties, departments, and ministries passed a resolution to engage the central government. Their aim is to employ a “carrot and stick” approach to ensure that young people in the region actively engage in productive activities.
Noah Kiyimba, the Minister in charge of the Buganda Cabinet and Lukiiko, voiced the collective concern regarding the growing trend of laziness and laxity among the youth. This trend, they believe, hampers the Kingdom’s efforts to combat poverty.
The representatives are proposing the compulsory involvement of the Kingdom’s youth in enterprise associations, along with income-generating projects. These initiatives would be closely monitored through the Kingdom’s leadership structures. The idea behind this proposal is to redirect the youth away from criminal activities and excessive drinking, which they argue result from excessive freedom, making them unproductive and impoverished.
Israel Kazibwe Kitooke, the Kingdom Minister of Information and Mobilization, adds that, in addition to mandatory hard work, Buganda seeks to regain full authority to instill socially acceptable morals among the youth within its territory. The Kingdom already has established moral guidelines rooted in cultural practices and beliefs that they wish to rigorously enforce with the central government’s approval.
Kazibwe emphasizes that the Kingdom and the country as a whole risk their future generations if they fail to guide the youth in becoming responsible citizens.
The Buganda Kingdom Prime Minister, Charles Peter Mayiga, affirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to implementing deliberate interventions aimed at improving the livelihoods of its people. He expressed frustration over supervising unproductive communities and urged structural leaders in Buganda to mobilize their communities to participate in central government wealth and livelihood programs, as a means to elevate their living standards.
