Burying their heads in the sand  - why are President Museveni and university bosses are ignoring suggestions on saving graduates riding bodabodas.

The Deafening Silence: A Call for Action for Uganda’s Unemployment Crisis

We grew up hearing an insightful anecdote about an unschooled Muhima who went to a doctor for an illness inquiry—the Bahima are one of the societal classes in Ankore. After being diagnosed, the doctor told the man that he was suffering from TB, which to the man in Runyankore it sounded, "[endwara] ntimbi." The man then stood up and left the doctor's room. At home, when those who cared for him asked about the doctor's report, he mistakenly claimed that the doctor had said "the disease is not bad," misinterpreting the Runyankore pronunciation for TB.

Sven Lindqvist, in his book Exterminate All the Brutes, observed: "You already know enough. So do I. It is not knowledge we lack. What is missing is the courage to understand what we know and to draw conclusions." What, then, does your silence—specifically that of the President of Uganda, the Chief Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation, and the heads of universities in Uganda—regarding my lately published 7-part article series on the evidence and rigor presented by Global University Business Club Limited (GUBCCo) in addressing graduates’ unemployment crisis in Uganda signify? Endwara ntimbi? What conclusions can be drawn from this silence by this writer, the desperately unemployed and underemployed graduates, and the university students who will soon face of joining unemployment upon graduation?

Even at a lonely beach there are waves beating against the cliffs. The silence of key political leaders and academic heads in Uganda amidst an ongoing crisis of graduate unemployment speaks volumes. This silence, which has been particularly noticeable in the wake of my seven-part article series, represents a troubling failure to engage with pressing national issues. The protagonists in this narrative seem conspicuously indifferent to the hardships faced by millions of unemployed or underemployed Ugandans. This silence is not just an absence of response; it is an implicit endorsement of the status quo, which leaves graduates stranded in a vicious cycle of poverty, frustration, and hopelessness.

Uganda’s unemployment crisis is not just an abstract issue. It is a deeply personal reality for millions of young Ugandans, many of whom have invested years of their lives into higher education, only to find themselves at an unforgiving end upon graduation. My article series delves into the multifaceted nature of this issue and offers practical solutions that could have a transformative impact on the nation’s job market. From my analysis of how the government can invest in creating sustainable employment for university graduates to proposals for innovative finance models to support entrepreneurship, I have laid out concrete steps for tackling this crisis. However, what has been most striking about the entire experience is the absolute silence from the very entities who should be driving these solutions.

To understand the implications of this silence, we must first consider its historical context. The analogy I referenced in the introduction, taken from the Runyankore dialect, speaks volumes about the danger of willful ignorance. The unschooled Muhima, upon receiving a diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB), chooses to ignore the reality of the situation and deceives himself into thinking that “the disease is not bad.” This is the essence of the silence surrounding the unemployment crisis in Uganda. The government and academic institutions seem aware of the crisis, yet they choose to ignore its urgency. Just like the Muhima, they have persisted in avoiding the harsh realities in favor of comfortable complacency.

Sven Lindqvist, in his book Exterminate All the Brutes, astutely observes: “You already know enough. So do I. It is not knowledge we lack. What is missing is the courage to understand what we know and to draw conclusions.” This statement applies directly to the situation at hand. The knowledge about the unemployment crisis is abundantly clear. The numbers are overwhelming. The statistics speak for themselves. Yet, the silence from the President, the OWC, and university leaders suggests a deep reluctance to confront the truth and take meaningful action.

When we look to the leadership in Uganda—particularly the President, the Chief Coordinator of OWC, and university leaders—we see a pattern of deflection rather than direct engagement with the issues that matter most to Ugandans. The President, who is at the helm of the country’s political machinery, has yet to publicly acknowledge the severity of graduate unemployment and the need for urgent reform in both education and the job market. The Chief Coordinator of OWC, whose mandate is to promote wealth creation and economic empowerment, has likewise failed to address the real needs of the graduates who form a critical segment of Uganda’s workforce. It is as if the very individuals tasked with shaping Uganda’s future have chosen to remain silent, either out of political expediency or sheer negligence.

Equally troubling is the role of Uganda’s universities. While they continue to churn out thousands of graduates each year, their leaders remain eerily quiet about the dismal job prospects that await these people. The failure of the higher education system to adapt to the changing dynamics of the global economy and to equip students with the skills necessary to thrive in the workforce is a clear dereliction of duty. The heads of these institutions should be at the forefront of embracing GUBCCo initiative, and advocating for practical, market-driven curricula and promoting entrepreneurship as a viable career path. Instead, their silence speaks to a profound disconnect from the reality of Uganda’s socio-economic landscape.

The silence from these key entities does more than just frustrate those struggling to find work. It sends a dangerous message to the rest of the population: that the concerns of young people, particularly university graduates, are not worth bothering with. It also signals a broader failure of leadership—one that is more interested in maintaining the status quo than in making the bold decisions necessary to drive meaningful change.

This silence is particularly damaging because it perpetuates the cycle of unemployment and underemployment. Without the political will to address the root causes of the crisis, millions of graduates will continue to fall through the cracks, unable to find decent employment. The ripple effect of this crisis is far-reaching, impacting not just individuals, but entire families and communities. The sense of hopelessness and frustration among the youth is palpable, and their patience is running thin.

The silence from Uganda’s leadership—whether intentional or not—has profound consequences. It communicates a sense of indifference to the struggles of ordinary Ugandans and a lack of commitment to addressing one of the most pressing issues of our time. But in the face of this silence, we must ask: What conclusions can we, as a society, draw?

First, we must recognize that the problem is not a lack of knowledge or resources, but a lack of political will and leadership. The solutions to Uganda’s graduate unemployment crisis are already on the table. In my article series, I have proposed actionable steps. These include entrepreneuring learners and connecting them with investors, introducing innovative finance models for e-commerce, and adapting the Yunus microfinance approach for SACCO schemes. What is missing is the courage to implement these ideas and make the difficult decisions required to bring them to life.

Second, the silence of the President, OWC, and university leaders should serve as a wake-up call to the youth of Uganda. It is time for us to stop waiting for others to fix our problems and take matters into our own hands. If the leadership will not act, we must be the change we want to see.

The silence is deafening, but the need for action is urgent. It is time for Uganda’s leaders to stop looking away from the truth and start taking responsibility for the future of their country. The university graduates of Uganda deserve more than empty promises from university classrooms; they deserve leadership that listens, understands, and acts. The time for silence has passed. Now, we need action.

Dr. Julius Babyetsiza

Founder and Managing Director

Global University business Club Limited (GUBCCo).

 

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