Uganda joined the rest of the world in commemorating International Youth Day (IYD 2025) with a colorful celebration at the Masindi Golf Course, bringing together young people, government officials, development partners, and community leaders. The event, held under the theme “Youth Advancing Socio-Economic Transformation through Technology and Partnerships,” underscored the central role of young people in driving innovation, fostering collaborations, and shaping Uganda’s development agenda.
Presiding over the belated National Youth Day celebrations, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni urged youth to embrace the Parish Development Model (PDM) as a strategic pathway out of poverty. He emphasized that the program, designed to commercialize agriculture, remains key to transforming Uganda’s economy.
“The plan is to focus on agriculture and teach people to move from subsistence farming to commercial farming,” Museveni said. “The real economy should be boosted by agriculture, and digital platforms should be used to market and deliver what you are producing.”
The President expressed disappointment that many youth had not taken advantage of the initiative, despite billions of shillings being injected into parishes nationwide. He also condemned the theft of PDM funds by corrupt officials, urging the youth to demand accountability.
