By Spy Uganda
Pan-African Pyramid Speaker Andrew Irumba Katusabe has called on young people across the continent to take the lead in driving Africa’s unity, defending democracy, and completing the unfinished liberation struggles, particularly in Western Sahara.
Delivering a public lecture at Kampala International University (KIU) last evening, under the theme “Beyond Borders: Pan-Africanism, Nationalism and the Quest for Justice in Western Sahara”, Irumba said Africa’s destiny rests in the courage and determination of its youthful population, which makes up more than 70% of the continent.
This public lecture attracted three ambassadors; Ambassador of Venezuela to Uganda is Her Excellency Fatima Yesenia Fernandez Juarez, Ambassador of Sahrawi, His Excellency Ali Mohamed and Algerian High Commissioner To Uganda
H.e. Amokrane Mourad.
“History shows us that when young people rise, nations are liberated,” Irumba told students, diplomats, and dignitaries. “If we remain passive, corruption thrives. If we remain silent, dictators entrench themselves. But when youth mobilize, Africa rises.”
He cited the role of students in Uganda, Ghana, and Tanzania during the independence struggles of the 1950s and 60s, the Soweto uprising in South Africa in 1976, and young revolutionaries led by Amílcar Cabral in Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde as proof of youth power in shaping history.
Turning to Western Sahara, Africa’s last colony, Irumba described its prolonged occupation by Morocco as “the unfinished business of Pan-Africanism.” He urged African youth to rally behind the Sahrawi people’s demand for self-determination, warning that Pan-Africanism cannot be complete while any part of the continent remains unfree.
“Freedom comes only through struggle. The future of our people will depend on the determination of our youth,” he quoted Burkina Faso’s Thomas Sankara.
At the lecture, Irumba also highlighted the Kampala Declaration, launched by the Pan-African Pyramid last week, which calls on all 54 African leaders to commit to building a United States of Africa. The declaration envisions a continent with one passport, one currency, open borders, and a united standby force to safeguard Africa’s wealth.
He challenged young people to embrace Pan-African ideals in practical ways: engaging in leadership, using digital platforms for activism rather than trivialities, supporting intra-African trade, and rooting themselves in timeless African ethics.
“Do not waste your youthful energy memorizing laws that change like weather forecasts,” he said. “Instead, root yourselves in the African principles of truth, justice, and morality that have guided our people for thousands of years.”
Irumba concluded with a rallying call: “Will our generation be remembered as the one that united Africa, or the one that betrayed it? The choice is ours. One Africa, one passport, one currency, one force. Aluta continua!”
Pictorial Below;
