On Friday, October 18th, 2024, while addressing the 34th Inter-Guild Council organized by the Uganda National Students Association, Col Emmy Katabazi, the Deputy Director General of Internal Security Organization, ISO, tasked youths to shun politics of identity, saying it’s the cause of backwardness in Africa.
The event held at the Uganda Christian University, UCU Mukono, was attended by over 300 UNSA leaders drawn from all the universities and institutions across the country under the theme “Education for Economic Empowerment: Transforming Uganda through Skills, Innovations, and Entrepreneurship.”
Col. Katabazi cautioned youths against engaging in politics of tribalism, malice, sabotage, and propaganda as being promoted by the enemies of Uganda to mislead young people.
According to Katabazi, UNSA leaders should engage in mobilizing students to support the right ideologies that can cause massive socioeconomic transformation of society.
“The biggest problem in Africa is lack of training for leaders. We need to understand that leadership is not by osmosis. You don’t sit next to a leader and you absorb leadership skills. Leadership is about conscious study to educate yourself about society, and after you have understood society, you engage in activities that will transform that society. Leadership is not presence; leadership is action and influence,” Col. Katabazi emphasized.
Col. Katabazi reminded the students that previous regimes of UPC had initially banned all students’ organizations in Uganda, but the current NRM found it mandatory to resurrect the unity of students to allow them to fully engage in the struggle for social-economic transformation of our motherland.
“Every financial year, the national budget invests in education to transform the social economy of Uganda. The gap in research also affects the innovations, yet it is the center of gravity for the prosperity of this country,” ISO Deputy Boss said.
He challenged the student leaders to mobilize fellow young people to engage in education that can transform the livelihoods of people.
“The focus is to decolonize the minds of young leaders. We are in Africa, and we must not ignore the knowledge of indigenous systems,” said Katabazi.
Francis Okot, the UNSA President, welcomed Col. Katabazi’s message, saying that “Educating for economic empowerment requires skills, innovation, and entrepreneurship training to improve the economy of the country.”
“Today, we stand at the crossroads of history, a moment that demands not only our attention but our action. In a world filled with challenges and opportunities, where every decision we make ripples across generations, the words we speak and the choices we embrace have the power to shape destinies,” Okot said.
Okot said, “This is a call to rise—together. A call to harness the strength of our collective voice and the courage of our convictions. Our efforts are supported by our love for our country and a patriotic mandate that can’t be hidden or abused.”
“Love your country because we have no other home country; honor those in leadership without complacency to the things that need to be addressed,” he noted.
The UNSA General Secretary, Edwin Muhumuza, emphasized commitment to mobilize young people to actively engage in the right ideological stands that can shape their future.
In his conclusive remarks, Col. Katabazi said the top leadership of ISO will in the near future engage with UNSA leaders across the future to discuss further how the young people can be fully engaged in the struggle to cause massive socioeconomic transformation of Ugandans.
