By Nansozi K Muwanga, action research project lead
Uganda is one of the youngest countries in the world, with over 70% of its population under the age of 30. In the lead-up to the 2021 elections, it was estimated that two-thirds of registered voters were below 30, highlighting the growing political significance of youth.
Although precise data on the number of youth living in the capital city Kampala’s informal settlements is lacking, voting patterns indicate a high concentration of young people who have consistently influenced electoral outcomes in the city. Beyond politics, Kampala’s youth also play a central role in Uganda’s economic development as key consumers and contributors to the informal and formal sectors.
Tapping young people’s potential
Recognising their political and economic potential, a wide range of actors – including government agencies, civil society organisations (CSOs), NGOs, UN bodies and political parties – are investing in youth development programmes in Kampala.
However, findings from our recent ACRC study suggest that this interest is often opportunistic. The young people interviewed were of the view that political parties, for example, tend to engage youth most actively during election periods, seeking their votes. Outside these windows, government-led youth programmes are often perceived as poorly designed and developed without meaningful input, especially from young people living in informal settlements.
The research reveals a general dissatisfaction among youth regarding existing government programmes, largely due to limited access to reliable information, which hinders their ability to meaningfully participate. Many remain unaware of available opportunities and services.
Various actors have introduced initiatives to support young people, such as cash transfer programmes, skills training centres, policy forums, community outreach efforts and research initiatives. However, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) describes these interventions as “tremendous but uncoordinated and undocumented”. This fragmentation undermines impact and limits knowledge sharing.
Identifying shortfalls in existing youth programmes
In an effort to address these challenges, KCCA conducted a Training Needs Assessment and Gap Analysis in 2022, leading to the development of a Harmonised Training Manual on Mindset Change for Youth Socio-Economic Transformation in Kampala. The report identified key barriers to youth empowerment, including a persistent sense of exclusion and a lack of awareness about available programmes. It also noted that many implementing agencies fail to share lessons learned or coordinate effectively, resulting in duplicated efforts and missed opportunities for collaboration.
Our own focus group discussions and interviews confirmed that some officials and local leaders often blame the ineffectiveness of youth programmes on the so-called “mindset” of the youth, rather than addressing structural or design flaws within the programmes themselves. This reflects a broader disconnect between policy makers and the lived realities of young people, particularly those in underserved communities.
Although numerous youth-focused programmes in Kampala have strong potential, their impact is limited by a siloed and fragmented approach among key stakeholders. This raises several critical questions:
1. How can we build elite commitment to support a unified strategy for youth development, bringing together governmental and non-governmental actors in a meaningful reform coalition?
2. How can young people in informal settlements be effectively mobilised and engaged to shape and benefit from existing programmes?
3. What can be done to strengthen KCCA’s capacity to coordinate, document and disseminate youth development initiatives more effectively?
Building an inclusive approach to supporting young people in Kampala
We’re initiating a new action research project designed to explore these questions and to identify more cohesive, collaborative and impactful approaches to youth development in Kampala.
Our first step will be to examine how youth currently access information about programmes and services intended for them, and how key actors gather and respond to youth feedback. We will also investigate the extent of inter-agency coordination in programme delivery, especially among organisations offering skills training and empowerment initiatives.
The diagnostic scoping phase of this project is being led by the Uganda Youth Development Link (UYDEL). UYDEL will analyse:
> How information about youth initiatives is disseminated;
> The mechanisms available for youth to provide feedback;
> Whether this feedback is acted upon; and
> How different agencies coordinate (or fail to coordinate) their efforts.
In the longer term, this project will explore the potential for mobilising elite commitment – both governmental and non-governmental – to establish a reform coalition dedicated to youth development. This coalition would work to harmonise existing efforts, reduce duplication and ensure that young people, particularly those in informal settlements, are better informed, more engaged and adequately served by both state and non-state actors.
Photo credits: Juan Alberto Casado / iStock. Young people at a festival in Kampala.
Note: This article presents the views of the authors featured and does not necessarily represent the views of the African Cities Research Consortium as a whole.
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