Minister Balaam Barugahara: I Was Dismissed from Makerere University for Leading Strike

Love him or hate him, Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi is not about to give up on his efforts to defend President Yoweri Museveni. That determination has been reflected in his statements urging young people to hold a demo with the president at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds.

Now, Balaam Barugahara is using his experience with protests during his time as a student at Makerere University, Uganda’s oldest and premier higher learning institution. Sharing the consequences of his participation in the strike at campus, he hopes to dissuade young people from taking part in protests.

Balaam Barugahara is only a few months in office as the junior minister for youth and children affairs. And the youths he is supposed to speak for, guide and create opportunities for have risen up to protest against grand corruption at Parliament of Uganda and other government institutions. The Inspectorate of Government estimates that nearly Shs10tn of the country’s budget is stolen every year.

The young people – the Ugandan Gen Zs – have been demanding the resignation of Speaker Anita Among over corruption allegations as well as tough action against all officials named in corruption scandals.

Balaam Barugahara has been trying to explain why the youth should stop marching to Parliament and any plans to occupy city streets. He has recommended that the young people agree to meet the president and talk about the issue of corruption and others affecting them.

“Young people, you can demonstrate in the president’s preferred options like gathering at Kololo or any other ground, invite him and other leaders and talk, other than going to the streets,” the minister said.

“When the president tells the young people not to go on the streets, probably he had been informed about an ADF likely attack or involvement or wrong elements like the copy and paste of Nairobi, who want to disorganize public order.”

Indeed, this was the reason police gave for blocking protests by Ugandan Gen Zs – a reason similar to that advanced by Kenyan police to attempt to ban protests by the youths which have thrown the country into a crisis. Even President Yoweri Museveni came out and warned Ugandan youths against playing with fire. (See Details Here and There).

The youths have since told Museveni, on social media, to stop addressing them as bazukulu (Luganda for grandchildren), making it clear he was not their grandfather. But Balaama Barugahara says it does not matter if some young people don’t like the president.

“We [in government] can work with the Bazukkulu. The President likes Bazukkulu. If you like him as your Jjaja [grandfather], well and good. If you don’t like him, there is no problem,” the minister noted.

Insisting he had a “duty to listen to the President and my duty to defend the president at every cost,” Balaam Barugahara further noted that while “making the President and his government accountable and transparent in a just manner” was very important, “we need to listen to him and the options he is giving us to conduct peaceful protests.”

Balaam Barugahara has shared his tough experience at Makerere University where he was suspended for leading a strike. Consequently, the minister says he had to spend more time doing a degree program (Bachelor of Commerce) that should have taken three years.

“I joined Makerere University in 2001 and started doing BCOM, a three-year course that took me seven years to complete because, in my second year, I led a big protest at Makerere Freedom Square,” narrated Balaam Barugahara.

“The time came when we the people who were involved were nabbed and faced the disciplinary committee. We were discontinued.”

A radio owner, events promoter and staunch supporter of first son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s presidential ambitions, Balaam Barugahara was one of the new faces appointed to Museveni’s cabinet in March 2024. (Read Story Here).

He is a key voice trying to persuade the young people to stop protests. Last week, President Museveni blamed foreign agents for funding the protests. Speaker Anita Among has also refused to resign her job, saying she has one more term to go from 2026 to 2031. (See Details Here, There and Over There).