Lira, Uganda | Youth leaders have been urged to take advantage of government contracts and development programmes set aside for them in order to fight poverty and strengthen their participation in governance.
This call was made on Thursday, 4 September 2025, during the Empower You – Annual Youth Conference at Margarita Palace Hotel in Lira City.
The event, organised by Gulu Women’s Economic Development & Globalisation (GWED-G) in partnership with CARITAS Switzerland and StartHub, brought together more than 100 youth from Lira City East and West Divisions.
Osborn Turyasingura, Executive Secretary of the National Secretariat for Special Interest Groups at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, said contracts worth less than UGX 10 million at the local government level and below UGX 30 million at the central government level are prioritised for youth, women, and persons with disabilities.
He reminded participants that 30% of Parish Development Model (PDM) funds are earmarked for youth but warned that poor financial discipline and misuse of funds had slowed repayments.
Turyasingura also expressed concern over the behaviour of young people in politics, pointing to the recent NRM Delegates’ Conference at Kololo where some youth reportedly prioritised money from candidates over their manifestos.
The conference was held under the theme “Rethinking Youth Participation and Inclusion in Policy, Decision-Making and Development Process.”
Uganda’s population is currently 72.5% youth, making their involvement in governance and development critical.
Pamella Angwech, Executive Director of GWED-G, said young people continue to lack opportunities to engage and voice their concerns despite years of capacity building under the Empower You project.
She highlighted persistent challenges such as weak participation in governance, limited accountability work, and exclusion of youth with disabilities from government programmes.
She cautioned youth against being bribed or commercialised during election periods.
Conor Walsh, Country Director of CARITAS Switzerland in Uganda, said the Empower You project has supported more than 1,000 youth over the past two years, half of them women.
He explained that the initiative provides financial literacy, business plan development, and mentorship for young entrepreneurs through StartHub, helping small businesses with big ideas to grow.
Patrick George Okol, Deputy Town Clerk of Lira City, commended the youth who have benefited from the project and urged them to continue driving development in their communities.
CARITAS Switzerland has invested €2 million in the Empower You project over the past three years in partnership with GWED-G, with the programme scheduled to run until January 2026.