Museveni's Dismissal of Humanities Degrees Overlooks His Own Roots in Arts Education

President Museveni sparked debate during Labour Day events by questioning what arts students can achieve beyond ‘thinking,’ echoing widespread views that Uganda needs more engineers, technicians, and scientists.

Yet dismissing humanities overlooks Museveni’s own background. He studied political science and economics at the University of Dar es Salaam, writing a thesis on Frantz Fanon’s revolutionary violence theory under historian Walter Rodney. These fields underpin his ideology and leadership over four decades.

The irony extends to policy. While science teachers earn Shs4 million monthly compared to Shs800,000 for arts counterparts, and tax exemptions for scientists are proposed, the government plans to hire 5,300 psychology workers to tackle a 71% rise in mental health cases, averting $4.5 billion in annual losses by 2040.

Humanities drive key sectors too. Tourism generated $1.28 billion in 2024, supporting 803,000 jobs through diplomats and cultural experts. The arts sector adds $576 million to GDP and employs over 500,000. A 2026 study found Ugandan engineering graduates lacking in communication and ethics—skills humanities provide.

Global successes like Singapore’s policy-trained civil service and India’s ethics-integrated engineering programs show integration, not elimination, works. Uganda’s issue lies in outdated curricula without digital skills or placements, calling for reform over ridicule.

Dismissing humanities risks economic setbacks, as local data proves their worth.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)