MICHAEL N
Ghetto youths in Nyamunuka Town Council, Kajara County, Ntungamo District have raised concern over the high rate of unemployment, which they say has forced many into drug abuse, gambling, and other destructive behaviors.
The area has over ten slum areas where idle youths reportedly gather daily, with many citing lack of capital, unemployment, and limited government support as key challenges.
Abdul Karim Byaruhanga, a resident of Gaza slum, said he is a university graduate who once ran a small hawking business in Kampala but lost his capital when it was confiscated by city authorities. Frustrated, he returned home and joined other unemployed youths.
He revealed that most of his peers are educated and talented but lack platforms and resources to develop their skills. “Due to unemployment, many youths lose morale and self-esteem, ending up living desperate lives despite their parents’ sacrifices,” he lamented.
Shidrah Nakayaja, another youth from the area, said they have tried to form developmental groups, but their efforts failed due to lack of income and support. She added that government programs meant for youths are often captured by the children of top leaders and the wealthy, leaving the poor behind. Shidrah further decried the growing number of single mothers in the ghettos struggling to provide food, shelter, and medical care for their children.
Other youths, including Moreen Kamusiime, blamed the proliferation of gambling machines locally known as “korokoro” and “ebyenyaja” for worsening their situation. They claimed that these machines are deliberately introduced to exploit poor youths of the little money they earn from menial jobs like fetching water or loading sand.
They also accused wealthy individuals of bringing sex workers into local bars to attract young men, leading to family breakups and rising HIV/AIDS infections. The youths appealed to the government and security agencies to regulate gambling and bar operations in the area.
The Chairperson of Nyamunuka Ghetto Youths, Baca Kagingo, revealed that there are more than 350 youths living in ghettos such as Gaza and Fagon, including school dropouts aged between 13 and 18 years. He said many were forced out of school due to lack of fees and scholastic materials, and the number has increased since schools closed.
Baca said the youths have not benefited from government programs like Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga, alleging that some leaders demand bribes before approving applications. He appealed to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to extend direct support to their youth groups to help them start small businesses and live meaningful lives.
Swaibu Tumwine, a retired police officer who has lived near the ghettos for years, warned of possible insecurity if the government does not act swiftly. He said many of the unemployed youths are educated but idle, and some have resorted to theft. Tumwine urged the government to invest in vocational training programs such as carpentry, welding, and bricklaying to equip them with practical skills.
Similarly, Yasin Mugisha, a local resident, called on the government to allocate free land in Nyamunuka where unemployed youths can be trained in making bricks and concrete blocks as a way of fighting unemployment and promoting self-reliance.
The youths collectively appealed to the government to intervene with skills development projects, startup capital, and regulation of exploitative activities, saying such steps would restore hope among the unemployed and reduce crime in the area.
