Balaam Barugahara, the newly-appointed Minister of State for Children and Youth Affairs , has pledged to sidestep the contentious issue of the Muhoozi Project or Patriotic League of Uganda and instead focus his tenure on addressing the urgent issues facing the next generation.
Speaking to the media on Monday at Parliament following his approval by the Parliamentary Appointments Committee, Balaam declared that he has come into the spotlight of politics with the sole purpose of becoming the voice of the voiceless and defending the interests of the country’s youth, rather than with the intention of advancing established agenda of Muhoozi project.
“I’m not in the cabinet to recruit the youth for the MK project, already the project has over 21 million youth and MK or PLU, we are not a political party, we are a civic organization aiming at instilling patriotism and fairness among our people,” he said.
Recognizing youth unemployment as one of the most urgent crises facing the nation, Minister Balaam’s manifesto centers on a detailed plan to address it. Balaam strives to generate significant possibilities for employment and entrepreneurship through focused projects and strategic relationships with public and commercial sectors, enabling young people to reach their full potential.
Furthermore, Minister Balaam has promised to give education and skill development top priority since he sees these as essential resources for giving young people the know-how and skills they need to succeed in a world that is becoming more and more competitive. Balaam aims to make sure that every young person has the opportunity to acquire the skills required for success in the twenty-first century by updating educational infrastructure, increasing access to vocational training, and encouraging innovation in curriculum design.
“Young people, who make up 75 percent of our population, have many urgent concerns. I am here to solve these issues. It is shocking to learn that 83 per cent of these young people are illiterate, unskilled, and forced to live on subsistence. My goal is to provide them with the skills required by the manufacturing chains in their respective areas. For example, we will equip them with the necessary skills in mining-heavy areas like Karamoja. In the same vein, we will adjust our treatments to the unique requirements of different places.”
In addition, Minister Balaam has also pledged to remove structural obstacles that disproportionately impact young people from underprivileged communities, such as those pertaining to social services, housing, and healthcare. Balaam seeks to level the playing field by enacting inclusive policy reforms and focused interventions that guarantee every young person, regardless of background or situation, an equal chance at success.
“About 9 million of our population are women and out of this 51 per cent have either been forceful married, some have undergone forceful abortion, and this is taking place because of lack of reproductive health of young people, therefore our focus will also focus on that, skilling and also patriotism,” he added.
President Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni appointed Balaam as a Minister of the Youth last week. Balaam is well-known for his steadfast support as the main organizer for the first son’s PLU, a political party operating in the shadows. The appointment of Balaam and other PLU protagonists has sparked discussions about whether it represents a plot to undermine the first son’s early political ambitions or a fresh approach to enable a seamless handover of power from Gen. Museveni to his son, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba after breaking all barriers.
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