KAMPALA, Uganda – Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has weighed in on the growing Gen Z protest movement, urging young Africans to direct their energy towards Pan-African integration rather than domestic unrest.
In a public statement issued after addressing 52 senior military officers undergoing training at the Senior Command and Staff College in Kimaka, Museveni said Africa’s youth hold immense potential but are being misdirected by localized grievances.
“Africa’s youth and abundant resources present a massive opportunity—if guided correctly,” Museveni said.
The president, who has ruled Uganda for nearly four decades, emphasized that Africa’s prosperity lies in uniting its economies and expanding markets beyond national borders.
He said Uganda’s domestic market, like many others on the continent, is too small to support industrialization at scale.
“Regional prosperity hinges on market integration,” Museveni said. “That is the rationale behind Pan-Africanism, economic integration, and political unity.”
I delivered a lecture to 52 senior military officers undergoing the Senior Command and Staff Course in Kimaka. I took questions from them that centred around youth unrest, patriotism, Pan-Africanism, wealth creation, and sustainable peace. Africa’s youth and abundant resources
The remarks come amid a surge of youth-led protests across Africa, including in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, where Generation Z has taken to the streets and social media to demand reforms on issues ranging from unemployment and corruption to governance and public finance.
Museveni suggested that instead of “rioting over local grievances,” the youth should mobilize to push for the East African Community’s integration efforts, which include free movement of goods, services, and people across borders.
He reiterated his long-held belief that the continent must move from subsistence living to a monetised economy to achieve sustainable peace and development.
“As we always preach, the path to prosperity lies in producing and selling a good or service,” he added, calling on leaders to steer the continent away from economic stagnation through industrial transformation and intra-African trade.
Museveni’s remarks come at a time when his government faces mounting pressure from rights groups and opposition leaders who accuse it of suppressing dissent, especially among young Ugandans.
Still, the president framed his call not as criticism, but as a challenge to both leaders and citizens: “Transform your economies. Monetize your resources. Build peace through shared prosperity.”
