Girl Tells Museveni: I Can Kill Myself

Museveni in Kibuku on Thursday

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged Ugandans to strengthen community support systems for young people after a schoolgirl from Kibuku emotionally revealed that she had once contemplated taking her own life due to lack of opportunities.

The President, who was campaigning at Kibuku Primary School on Thursday, said the girl’s confession was a stark reminder of the silent struggles many Ugandan children face—particularly those blocked from completing school or joining technical programmes because of poverty or illegal fees.

Girl’s Story Forces Spotlight on School Stress, Fees and Lost Hope

While addressing education challenges, President Museveni recounted a moment from his engagement with trainees at the Presidential Skilling Hub in eastern Uganda.

“One of the girls told me she was thinking of killing herself,” he said. “But when she joined the skilling hub, she got hope. In six months, they are producing items we used to import from China.”

He used the story to highlight the urgent need for reforms around free education, saying that many children are pushed into despair by school fees, pressure at home, and lack of pathways to employment.

“School fees are killing the future of many children in Uganda,” the President warned, stressing that illegal charges by some school administrators continue to sabotage government efforts.

Museveni Calls for Inclusive Transformation

During his rally, President Museveni emphasized that the transformation of Uganda rests on combining government investments—roads, electricity, schools, health facilities—with household wealth creation.

“The first contribution is peace,” he said. “Because of peace, we expanded roads, electricity and telephones. Social infrastructure like schools and hospitals must reach every parish and every sub-county.”

He said government was upgrading several health centres in Kibuku, including Nabiswa, Kituti, Nakodo, Dodoi, Kenkebu, Nandere and others.

But beyond infrastructure, the President stressed that families must use the enabling environment to create wealth through the four-acre model and enterprise activities.

“You can have development and people still remain poor. Wealth is individual,” he noted.

Jobs Come From Productivity, Not Just Government

Museveni said 1.3 million people are now employed in factories, adding that jobs arise from business activity, services, agriculture and manufacturing.

“NRM is telling Ugandans to wake up—jobs come from wealth,” he said.

He urged leaders implementing the Parish Development Model to ensure all households enter the money economy instead of subsistence farming.

Free Education to Be Strengthened

President Museveni said he wants the NRM to revisit and strengthen the free-education policy after the elections, guided by stories like that of the girl who nearly lost hope.

“The government has set up skilling hubs so that young people who fail because of fees can still succeed,” he said. “No child should ever feel like ending their life because they lack school fees.”

NRM Leaders Rally Support

NRM Vice Chairperson (Central Region) Rt. Hon. Anita Among urged residents to vote for President Museveni and all NRM candidates. District Chairperson Hajji Shalif Ssebakaki thanked the President for establishing the Presidential Skilling Hub and asked for its expansion.

The President concluded by reaffirming the NRM’s message: peace, development, wealth creation, jobs and free education, saying Uganda’s transformation depends on moving these pillars together—while ensuring no child ever feels abandoned.