By: Byaruhanga Frank, Communications practitioner
Many young people wake up each day with energy and ambition but few clear paths forward. From the conversation have had with a few, young people care about the country. They want Uganda to succeed yet high joblessness and weak access to basic health services, especially in rural areas, make it hard to feel that the nation is working for them.
Patriotism grows strongest when people can see a present and future for themselves at home. The question is whether Uganda can create the conditions that allow its young people to put the country first again.
Out of every 100 people of working age, about 12 are unemployed that means they have no job but are looking for one. Among young people aged 15 to 24, the number rises to nearly 18 out of every 100. Young women face a tougher time about 21 out of every 100 are unemployed, compared with 15 out of every 100 young men (UBOS Labour Market Survey, 2025)
The picture looks even harder in some regions. In Bukedi, more than 37 out of every 100 young people are unemployed. In Teso the figure is about 33 out of every 100. In contrast, places like Karamoja and Bunyoro have much lower rates, under 10 out of every 100. Even in Kampala the rate sits at about 19 out of every 100 young people and other places.
These numbers only count people who are actively looking for work. A wider measure shows deeper problems. Roughly 42 out of every 100 people of working age are under used. They may work only a few hours, or they want work but have stopped looking because opportunities feel out of reach. This affects about 7.7 million Ugandans. For the youngest group, aged 15 to 19, the figure climbs to nearly 58 out of every 100.
Most available work is informal and about 89 out of every 100 employed people work outside formal jobs that offer contracts, social security and regular pay. For young people the share is even higher around 95 out of every 100. Many of these jobs are low paying and unstable.
A large share of young people either has no job or have work that does not provide steady income and security. This reality shapes how they feel about the country
Joblessness does not exist in isolation and in rural communities, limited access to health care compounds the problem. When young people and families fall ill and cannot get timely treatment, they lose working days, miss training opportunities and sometimes drop out of economic activities altogether. Good health is a foundation for productive work and for feeling that the country values its citizens.
Progress has been made and around 90 out of every 100 Ugandans now live within five kilometers of a health facility. About 61 out of every 100 districts have at least one hospital, and Health Centre IVs cover most districts, and lower level facilities such as Health Centre IIIs have expanded.
Quality and reliability remain uneven, especially in rural areas. Many public health centers face shortages of medicines and supplies. Long waiting times and staffing gaps are common complaints. In some hard to reach places, people still travel long distances or face additional barriers such as poor roads and lack of transport.
Health insurance coverage is very low only about 1 out of every 100 people nationwide, and even lower in rural areas (under 1 out of every 100). Multidimensional poverty figures show that rural households suffer higher rates of health-related deprivation. Rural multidimensional poverty sits at about 32 out of every 100 people, compared with 19 out of every 100 in urban areas. Health insurance deprivation is particularly high in rural settings.
Surveys consistently show that health ranks among the top priorities that Ugandans, including young people, want government to fix. Many report difficulty obtaining medical care, and some report having to pay informal fees. Rural facilities also often lack adequate water, medicine, sanitation and hygiene services, which increases infection risks.
For a young person in a rural parish, the combination is heavy, limited job options plus the risk that illness will quickly wipe out any small savings and force them to abandon a small enterprise. This dual pressure can weaken the sense that the country is investing in their future.
Over the years the government has launched several programmes aimed at helping young people earn a living. The Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP) offered groups of young people revolving funds to start small businesses. The Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP) did similar work for women. The Youth Venture Capital Fund worked with banks to increase credit access. More recently the Parish Development Model (PDM) has directed large amounts of money to parish level groups, with a target share for youth, to move households from subsistence into the cash economy.
These efforts recognize the problem. In practice, results have often been disappointing. Under YLP, recovery of the funds money that is supposed to be paid back so others can benefit has been low in many districts. In some places recovery rates have sat below 30 out of every 100 shillings disbursed, and in a few areas as low as 5 to 28 out of every 100. Groups have broken up, members have moved away, or funds have been used for daily needs instead of the planned enterprise. Political messages that treated the money as a gift rather than a loan have also weakened repayment.
Monitoring has been weak and local officials often lacked transport and operational funds to follow up groups. Skills training has not always matched market needs. Similar challenges of coordination, targeting and sustainability have appeared in the PDM, even though it has reached more people and improved some household incomes and food security. Youth participation has sometimes fallen short of the intended share, and impacts on young people’s earnings have been uneven.
When programmes are announced with hope but deliver limited lasting jobs or collapse after a short time, young people experience disappointment. In rural areas, where health services are also stretched, the sense of being left behind can grow stronger. Patriotism suffers when people feel the state is not delivering reliable support for either livelihoods or basic health.
Patriotism is not only about flags and anthems; it is about the daily belief that one’s country offers a fair chance at a decent life. When a young person in a rural community cannot find steady work and also struggles to get medicine or treatment when sick, that belief is tested and Illness reduces productivity. Lack of income makes it harder to travel for better care and the cycle reinforces itself.
Conversely, when young people gain skills that lead to real work, when small businesses receive proper support and market links, and when local health facilities have staff, medicines and basic water and sanitation, the connection to the nation strengthens.
People who can provide for themselves and their families are more likely to invest energy in community and national progress. They are more likely to stay rather than migrate in search of better services and opportunities.
Roughly 18 out of every 100 young people are unemployed and more than 40 out of every 100 working age people are under used. About 9 out of every 10 jobs are informal. In rural areas, health facilities may be closer than before, yet medicines, staff and quality remain unreliable for many.
Education and training should align better with actual job openings and youth programmes need stronger follow up, clearer market links, and honest preparation of beneficiaries not every young person is ready to run a business.
Recovery of revolving funds must improve so the money can serve more people. Health systems need consistent supplies, better staffing in rural facilities, and practical solutions for hard to reach communities. Coordinating job creation with health improvements at parish level, under models such as the PDM, could deliver more holistic results.
Political leaders at every level must speak clearly and government support is an investment in shared progress. Transparent monitoring and accountability build trust.
Uganda’s young population is large and that can be a powerful engine of growth if young people are healthy and productively engaged. When rural youth can access both decent work and reliable health care, the instinct to put Uganda first becomes practical as well as emotional.
The data show the gaps clearly and losing them is the surest path to a patriotism that is lived every day, not only spoken about.
