Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has urged young people to embrace mentorship and draw on the wisdom of older generations, warning that progress can only be achieved if society works across age groups.
Speaking at the third National Mentorship Day Awards at State House in Entebbe, Mr Museveni congratulated honourees for their contribution to national development.
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“I want to congratulate the awardees for the great work they have done,” he said, noting that their efforts in fields such as women’s rights, health, industry and law represented the values for which Uganda’s liberation struggle was fought.
The President cautioned young Ugandans against disregarding elders, reminding them that knowledge is both cumulative and innovative. “Not everything old must go,” he said. “Do not say that everything old must go away, you would be making a very big mistake. But even the old must accept that some things must change to be rational.”
The event was organised by the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID). Its chairperson, Odrek Rwabwogo, said mentorship was vital for a country with a predominantly young population.
“Elderly people retire in silence, yet they carry a wealth of knowledge that must be tapped into. Avoiding mistakes is also mentorship. It is often not taught; it is caught,” he explained.
Mr Rwabwogo added that no generation could achieve lasting transformation alone. He called on the President to support efforts to formalise mentorship across both public and private institutions.
According to PACEID Secretariat head Matthew Bagonza, the National Mentorship Day initiative aims to strengthen intergenerational ties and inspire young Ugandans to learn from those who came before them.
The ceremony was attended by senior figures including Prof Ephraim Kamuntu, Minister Milly Babalanda, UVTAB chairperson Allen Kagina, Bishop Sheldon Mwesigwa, as well as student leaders from universities and secondary schools.
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