KAMPALA, UGANDA – The Minister of State for Gender, Labour and Social Development (Youth and Children Affairs), Dr. Lakisa Mercy Faith, has praised young Ugandan innovators for developing solutions to climate change while creating employment opportunities through green economy initiatives.
Dr. Lakisa made the remarks following the 2026 Uganda Climate Innovation Challenge (UCIC), where six winners shared a grant pool of UGX 37 million in recognition of their innovative contributions to environmental sustainability and economic development.
The minister congratulated the six winners and the 12 finalists who participated in the challenge, which featured four categories: Circular Economy, Clean Energy Innovation, Circular Regenerative Agriculture, and Climate Art and Storytelling.
She emphasised that climate action and youth employment were closely connected, arguing that supporting young people to develop environmental solutions was equally important in addressing unemployment.
The event also witnessed the official launch of the National Waste Pickers Association, an initiative Dr. Lakisa described as an important step towards recognising the contribution of waste pickers to environmental conservation and the circular economy.
She called for improved occupational health and safety standards, greater recognition of waste pickers and their inclusion in decision-making platforms involving Government, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and recycling stakeholders.
Dr. Lakisa further noted that achieving Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Strategy targets and reducing youth unemployment required deliberate support for young innovators and frontline workers whose activities contributed to economic growth and environmental protection.
She challenged banks and development partners to design accessible financial products that suited young innovators without demanding land titles as a requirement, saying such arrangements would make it easier for emerging entrepreneurs to access financing and expand their businesses.
The minister also urged the private sector to support youth-led enterprises by creating market opportunities and allowing their companies to become the first major customers of products developed by young innovators.
She maintained that young people were not merely waiting for future employment opportunities but were already creating jobs through their innovations and entrepreneurial activities.
Her message highlighted the importance of stronger collaboration between Government, financial institutions, development partners and the private sector in supporting youth-led green businesses and promoting sustainable economic growth in Uganda.
