Former President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday paid a courtesy visit to Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, capping a two-day tour of the country where he addressed youth leaders at Makerere University.
The meeting, held at State House Entebbe, followed Kenyatta’s speech at the annual Guild Leaders’ Summit, where he called on African youth to step forward and take charge of the continent’s future.
“Young leaders must recognise that this is an independence moment,” Kenyatta told students. “You are the last line of defence in the battle to rescue the heart and soul of Africa.”
Museveni, in a statement after the meeting, praised the former Kenyan leader’s message. “I was pleased to hear that these students are keen on what we’ve been preaching,” Museveni said, referring to his long-held pillars: patriotism, Pan-Africanism, socio-economic transformation and democracy.
The two leaders found common ground on a growing concern — Africa’s dependence on foreign aid and the urgent need for the continent to shape its own destiny.
“The sunset of USAID has forced a level of economic policy introspection unseen in Africa for decades,” Kenyatta said. “It’s time for African governments to rethink their priorities.”
Museveni echoed the sentiment, saying Africa must shed the “divisive politics of identity” and focus on shared progress.
Kenyatta’s visit came amid heightened conversations around self-determination and economic independence in Africa. He framed the current global climate, with Western nations increasingly focused on their internal affairs, as an opportunity for Africa to find its voice.
“The world is turning inward,” he said. “If we wait for others to develop Africa, we’ll wait forever.”
Uganda’s Vice President, Maj (Rtd) Jessica Alupo, who also attended the summit, underscored the same message. “Africa’s transformation will only happen through unity, Pan-Africanism, and relentless hard work,” she told delegates.
The Guild Leaders’ Summit, hosted by Makerere University, has grown into a prominent platform for young leaders across the continent. This year’s event, organisers say, aimed to rekindle the ideals of African unity and self-reliance — themes echoed in nearly every keynote speech.
Though no formal agreements were signed during Kenyatta’s visit, the symbolism of two long-serving leaders aligning on youth empowerment and African sovereignty sent a strong signal. Both leaders, though from different eras and political styles, appeared to share a belief that the future of Africa will be shaped less by foreign policy and more by its own young citizens.
As the day closed, Kenyatta left Uganda with a final charge to the youth: “The baton is in your hands now. Don’t drop it.”
