Winnie Byanyima
Uganda’s long-running debate on youth unemployment has taken a sharp political turn after UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima issued an open letter to President Yoweri Museveni, challenging his recent remarks on young Ugandans seeking work abroad.
In the letter dated June 5, 2026, Byanyima criticises what she describes as “mockery” directed at young people leaving Uganda for Gulf countries in search of employment opportunities, arguing that their decision reflects economic pressure rather than lack of patriotism.
“I was saddened to hear your recent comments about young Ugandans who leave for Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other countries in search of work,” she wrote.
“These young men and women are not leaving because they do not love Uganda. They are leaving because they cannot find sufficient opportunities at home.”
Byanyima says many of these workers take up low-paying jobs in domestic work, construction, transport and security, often under difficult conditions, but continue to support families back home through remittances.
She argues that the contributions of migrant workers are central to Uganda’s economy, noting that money sent home is used for school fees, healthcare, housing and small businesses.
According to her, remittances now rival or exceed some of Uganda’s key export earnings, making diaspora workers an economic lifeline rather than a burden.
“The facts tell a very different story,” she stated, adding that “these workers abroad are not a burden on Uganda. They are helping sustain families and supporting the economy.”
The letter shifts focus to structural economic concerns, with Byanyima questioning Uganda’s long-term job creation strategy under Museveni’s leadership, which spans nearly four decades.
She attributes rising youth unemployment to policy failures, population growth pressures and limited industrialisation.
She argues that Uganda missed opportunities to build a strong manufacturing base and invest in labour-intensive sectors such as agro-processing and tourism.
Instead, she says, agriculture remains underdeveloped and rural incomes remain low, pushing young people to seek livelihoods elsewhere.
Byanyima also highlights the impact of past conflicts, particularly the Northern Uganda insurgency, saying prolonged insecurity weakened development and diverted resources away from education, infrastructure and employment creation.
On tourism, she contrasts Uganda’s performance with regional peers, arguing that countries such as Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda have more effectively turned natural attractions into large-scale job engines through investment, branding and stability.
“Natural resources alone do not create jobs,” she wrote. “Strategic public investment, effective institutions and good governance do.”
She further raises concerns over corruption, saying it distorts opportunity distribution and deprives young people of fair access to jobs and economic participation.
Byanyima concludes with a call for greater accountability, urging the government to regularly publish job creation data and shift focus from criticism of migrants to addressing domestic unemployment.
“Do not mock the youth who leave. Answer the question they are asking. After nearly four decades in power, where are the jobs?” she posed.