Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday, April 24, 2025, met with Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni after attending a governance summit where he challenged the youth to forge their own destinies.
In a statement on Thursday, April 24, 2025, Museveni indicated that Uhuru’s message to the youth was consistent with Uganda’s ruling party National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) calls for patriotism and Pan-Africanism.
“Former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta paid me a courtesy call at State House, Entebbe this evening. He was here for the Guild Leaders’ Summit at Makerere University,” Museveni said.
“I was pleased to hear that these students are keen on what the NRM has been preaching: the four principles of Patriotism, Pan-Africanism, Socio-economic Transformation, and Democracy, and how they are crucial for their prosperity.”
Guild Leaders’ Summit
During the guild leaders’ summit of 2025 at Makerere University, Uhuru sent a powerful message to the youth, urging them to stand for what is right as they were the continent’s last line of defence in the face of a decline in foreign aid and funding.
“You are the last line of defence in the battle to rescue the heart and soul of Africa for the sake of the future generations,” Uhuru said.
“No one is coming to save us, and as the world turns increasingly inward, the places to seek refuge are rapidly disappearing.”
Self-reliance
In his address to policymakers, student leaders, and academic stakeholders from across East Africa at Makerere University of Uganda, Uhuru underscored the urgent need for integrity-driven leadership and self-reliance to navigate the continent’s pressing challenges.
He equally highlighted Africa’s demographic advantage, with over 65 per cent of its population under 25, calling it a pivotal opportunity to break free from cycles of division and corruption.
“You have the numbers, you have the time, and you have the energy to get involved and stay involved in governance discussions until you effect the changes you wish to see,” he noted.
Uhuru appealed to the young leaders to embrace policies developed for the long-term good rather than short-term policies developed to serve personal interests.
Intra-African trade
The former president highlighted the need for Africans to open their borders for trade, observing that the 2.5 per cent intra-African trade volume was unhealthy for the continent’s prosperity.
“History has often been written by the powerful, but the future will be shaped by the principled,” Uhuru remarked.
The summit brought together student leaders from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).