In every trading centre across Kampala, you’ll find hundreds of young men perched on motorcycles, weaving through chaos, chasing meagre earnings with borrowed Boda Bodas. They left their villages with dreams of city success, yet now live hand-to-mouth, vulnerable to accidents, harassment, and hopelessness. It’s time to speak the truth—youth must reject this Kampala Boda fantasy and build sustainable wealth back home.
The idea that Kampala is a land of opportunity is a myth for the majority. Many youths flock to the city hoping to “make it” but instead become part of a saturated informal sector, renting motorbikes they’ll never own, living in ghettos, and battling daily with fuel costs, police, and competition. Worse still, they waste precious years in the prime of their life.
Yet back in the villages lie untapped goldmines—rich soil, peaceful living, and endless agricultural potential. Imagine if these same youths chose to plant coffee, tomatoes, onions, or even venture into poultry, fish farming, or beekeeping. Uganda’s soil and climate are a blessing, but it’s being abandoned for tarmac dreams and false city lights.
Planting just 1,000 coffee trees on a small piece of land can yield returns of millions annually after a few years of nurturing. Tomatoes and onions, with shorter turnaround periods, can bring in consistent profits. Even better, village life means fewer expenses—no rent, fewer temptations, and the chance to build something lasting.
Youth must stop wasting smartphones on TikTok and instead use them as digital universities. Platforms like YouTube, Coursera, and Khan Academy offer free farming lessons, marketing strategies, and financial literacy. Why not learn how to make organic pesticides, create a farm YouTube channel, or advertise produce to customers directly?
With smartphones, youth can form online cooperatives, access microloans, and even monitor global market trends. What they need is mindset transformation. Wealth is not in Kampala’s slums—it’s in the neglected village gardens. And that’s where revival begins.
The government and churches must also redirect their narrative. Instead of encouraging rural-to-urban migration, leaders must invest in village-based enterprise education and access to tools. Banks should offer youth-friendly farming loans. NGOs should train village youths in climate-smart agriculture and modern farming techniques.
Let’s stop glorifying Kampala and start honouring the soil beneath our feet. The youth must awaken. Let the Boda Boda dream die and a farming revolution begin. Not every educated or energetic young person belongs in the city. The future of Uganda is rural—and it starts with those brave enough to return home and plant it.
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