The government of Uganda has in the past introduced a number of development programs aimed at improving the livelihood of the people especially interest groups such as the youth and women as a means of eradicating poverty and fighting crime among these active members of the society.
There are many programs targeting the youth from both private and government organizations. Programs such as the Youth Livelihood project in 2013 and Operation Wealth Creation which is spear headed by the Uganda Peoples defense forces, have been able to provide agricultural inputs such as seeds and seedlings, tractors, agricultural loans and extension services.
Most recently, in the New Vision of March 12 2019, the Internal Security Organization is reported to have introduced a new fund to provide financial support to youth groups in the country to foster development with groups getting up to 4 Million shillings each to develop their enterprises. According to the coordinator of the program, “many youths engage in crime due to lack of work”.
In the urban areas the President, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has spear headed the Presidential Ghetto initiative and Skilling the girl child project which have provided hands-on training and seed capital to youths so as to start their own small enterprises and provide employment for others.
Individuals like Brian Kirumira popularly known as Brian White through his Social Enterprise foundation has also setup similar projects around the country to support urban youths to curtail youth unemployment and engagement in crime.
Artist Bebe Cool last year launched his Heart of Gold concerts aimed at using music to fundraise money to support needy youths in urban areas.
These initiatives have promoted entrepreneurship among the youth and social enterprises since they emphasize creation of self-help groups which are fully registered and hence easier to monitor and support.
Social media actors who have been critical of these initiatives are detached from the realities on the ground, offering no tangible alternatives but merely seeking to provoke and sabotage efforts meant to support the unemployed youth who are always victims of manipulation from criminal minded elements.
A number of urban youth arrested have been found to be involved in criminality due to absence of viable economic engagements to improve their livelihoods.
This has prompted security agencies to also support youth groups as a way of preventing them from engaging in criminality.
