Take a few minutes before you cast your ballot.

Once again, politicians are crisscrossing the country asking for your vote. You’ve seen the posters. You’ve heard the promises, the jingles and the speeches. Some of you have even sat through rallies not because you believed, but because you hoped for a transport refund. And you will probably see them again on your screens tonight, maybe in a debate, maybe not.

But this election isn’t about rallies or debates. It’s about time. And what’s been done with it.

Forty years. That’s how long one man has held the reins of this country. In that time, the world has transformed. The internet was born. Entire industries now run on artificial intelligence. Governments have fallen because of hashtags. Whistleblowers don’t need newspapers they have Telegram. But here at home? Our leaders still treat social media like a threat, not a tool. They threaten users, ban platforms, and criminalize criticism all in the name of control.

While the world raced ahead, Uganda stood still.

In four decades, Singapore became a first-world country. Rwanda rebuilt from ashes. Kenya and Tanzania changed leaders multiple times. Brazil lifted World Cups. We, on the other hand, are still repairing roads built just two years ago. Still opening hospitals with no medicine. Still launching schools without teachers. Still pumping “patriotism” into the curriculum while ignoring real education reform.

It’s not just about what hasn’t been done. It’s about what was done instead.

A new constitution was passed, then broken. Leaders swore to uphold it until 5 million shillings convinced Parliament to scrap term limits. Electoral reforms were shelved. Public Order laws were passed not to protect you, but to silence you.

Even now, in 2025, we’re dealing with the same games: promises made, cash handouts delivered, crowds ferried and abandoned. You’ve seen this cycle before.

And that’s why this election isn’t just about choosing who leads next. It’s about breaking a pattern that’s gone on too long.

To the youth especially those chanting “no change” for a quick 10,000 shillings, understand this: the money they give you today is the cost of your silence tomorrow. You don’t need handouts. You need a system that recognizes your value.

Over 70% of Ugandans are under 30. But where are the jobs? Where are the startup funds? Where is the legislation that prioritizes you? A government that actually cared would do reserve 30% of public tenders for young entrepreneurs. That policy could change lives. Instead, our youth are exporting degrees to Middle Eastern kitchens.

We deserve better.

We deserve a government that lowers business costs for locals. That protects Ugandan startups. That understands we can’t innovate under crushing taxes and endless red tape. That invests in its people instead of repackaging old slogans as new plans.

Forty years is enough. Enough time to plan, to fail, to try again. Enough time to build roads that last. Hospitals that function. Schools that teach. Dreams that don’t require exile.

If they haven’t done it in four decades, they won’t do it in five more years. That’s not pessimism. That’s history.

So vote with your eyes open. Vote like your future depends on it, because it does.

I’m voting for change. Will you?

God bless you.
God bless Uganda.