“Eno Uganda Yaffe”: Igniting Local Action for National Transformation

Yesterday, I had the profound honor of engaging youth leaders and civil society partners from Kasese, Kiryandongo, Kampala, Wakiso, and beyond in a vital dialogue on Uganda’s Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV) and the 10-Fold Strategy, two landmark frameworks that define the path to our shared prosperity. The room was filled with energy, concern, and potential because when youth gather, so does the future of a nation.

But as I reflected on the day’s engagements, one moment struck me deeply. A young participant, with raw honesty, asked:

“If this is NDP-IV, where is NDP I, II, and III, and what exactly did they achieve? It’s my first time to hear about NDPs, what a shame!”

This comment wasn’t just a question it was a mirror. A mirror reflecting the disconnect between policy and people, between frameworks and the very lives they are meant to transform. It was a call, loud and clear, for transparency, inclusivity, and access to knowledge.

One thing became painfully clear; knowledge remains a privilege. These national blueprints were designed with the people in mind the youth, the women, the farmers, the teachers, the mothers, the job seekers yet the very communities they aim to uplift remain largely unaware of their contents.

The frameworks are rich, but if they’re not broken down into relatable, accessible messages, “Omuntu Wawansi” is left behind. And when people don’t know what exists for them, how can they claim it? How can they monitor promises they’ve never heard of? How can they participate in shaping a Uganda they don’t see themselves in?

What Is NDP IV and the 10-Fold Agenda Saying to the Youth and Women?

NDP IV is built on the foundation of “Sustainable Industrialization for Inclusive Growth, Employment and Wealth Creation.” It seeks to transform Uganda from a peasant to a modern and prosperous country by 2040.

The 10-Fold Strategy, developed to support this transformation, highlights urgent areas such as;

• Human Capital Development

• Agricultural Industrialization and Mechanization

• Private Sector Growth and Jobs

• Tourism Promotion

• Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability

Now ask yourself: Where is your voice in these pillars?

Uganda’s population is over 48 million, and more than 75% are under the age of 30. This isn’t just a statistic it’s a national asset. But that asset remains untapped when:

• 1 in 4 young people aged 15–24 is unemployed

• Over 60% of youth in rural areas lack access to skilling or training opportunities

• Women, especially in agriculture, remain largely unpaid, despite producing about 80% of Uganda’s food

Human Capital Development is more than a policy phrase. It means real investment in health, education, skilling, and values. Yet many young Ugandans still struggle to access quality education or healthcare.

When we talk about agricultural mechanization, we must ask; Do our youth and women have access to land? To technology? To finance? To roads and markets?

The frameworks speak about us. But now, we must begin to speak through them.

The biggest gap is translation turning national vision into local action. Government has done its part by developing these frameworks. But now it is upon us the mobilizers, the youth leaders, the CSOs, the teachers, the cultural leaders to make these ideas real in our communities.

Let us not wait for perfect conditions. Let us;

• Organize youth forums that break down NDP IV in local languages

• Use drama, radio, storytelling, and digital tools to reach the last mile

• Monitor implementation at district level and demand results

• Hold leaders accountable, while also equipping citizens to be change agents

Light Your Candle

We must stop assuming people are uninterested. They are just uninformed. And when they know better, they do better.

Each of us must take on the duty to light a candle in our own corner to share knowledge, to empower, to listen, and to act.

The development of Uganda will not happen in boardrooms alone. It will happen;

• When a young mother in Kiryandongo understands her rights

• When a youth group in Kasese accesses a skilling grant

• When a boda boda rider in Wakiso questions his local council about road infrastructure

• When a girl in Kampala sees herself not just as a beneficiary, but as a policymaker

This is our Uganda. “Eno Uganda Yaffe.”

Its greatness will not come from speeches alone but from the collective hands of informed and engaged citizens. Let us rise to the moment. Let us build a country where policy meets people, and where frameworks fuel freedom from poverty, not just reports and papers.

It starts with you. It starts with me. Light your candle. Share the knowledge. Move Uganda forward.