Amb. Mulamula Challenges Youth to Be Africa’s Dream Custodians as UDSM Hosts Launch of Africa Kwetu Students’ Organisation
By Hanifa Kassim Ali, DARUSO Minister of External Affairs and Students Associations
Hon. Ambassador Liberata Mulamula (MP), former Minister for Foreign Affairs and a distinguished Pan-African diplomat, has called on the youth to champion Africa’s aspirations and lead the continent’s next chapter, embodying the spirit of past Pan-African visionaries.
Amb. Mulamula issued this challenge on 1st July 2025 during the official launch of the Africa Kwetu Students’ Organisation (AKSO), Tanzania Chapter, at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) Library Auditorium.
The event, themed “Empowering East Africa’s Future: The Role of African Youths in Shaping the Political Federation and Economic Integration of East Africa,” drew diplomats, policymakers, student leaders, and regional thinkers, cementing UDSM’s role as a hub of progressive thought and action.
“We are not inheriting Africa from our ancestors; we are borrowing it from our children. Let us build a future that honours them. The youth are not mere observers in Africa’s integration, they are its architects. Your dreams should scare you; if they do not, they are not big enough”, she declared.
The ceremony opened with the symbolic Pan-African Walk, a procession uniting student from Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya under the banner “The Vitality of Africa’s Rise.” More than a gesture, the walk rejected tribalism, neo-colonialism, and division, embracing instead African solidarity, regional integration, and visionary youth leadership.
Mr. Sospeter Chacha, AKSO-UDSM General Secretary, described the organisation as a “strategic platform for youth civic engagement, peacebuilding, and policy innovation”. He stressed that AKSO transcends a student movement; it is a continental framework for nurturing transformative leadership.
Echoing this, Mr. Moses Mberwa Kazimoto, AKSO-UDSM Chairperson and Speaker of DARUSO-USRC, proclaimed, “We are not just students; we are bridge-builders, visionaries, and future heads of state. Let Dar es Salaam unite us, where Berlin once divided us”.
In a poignant moment, Mr. Karuhanga Coleb, AKSO Uganda Chairperson, handed the Pan-African torch to Tanzania. “We lit the matchstick in Uganda. But the fire belongs to all of Africa,” he declared, sealing a cross-border generational pact.
Mr. Eric Kizza, UDSM student and Africa Kwetu founder, delivered a stirring address, framing the movement as born from “frustration, hope, and a refusal to accept a divided Africa.” “Every revolution needs a headquarters,” he asserted. “Africa Kwetu must become the continental hub for youth-driven Pan-Africanism.”
Dr. Muhdin Shangwe, AKSO-UDSM Patron, underscored the need for structured mentorship: “Youth energy without structure risks derailment. Mentorship is not interference; it is direction rooted in trust. Africa Kwetu is no longer just an idea; it is now an institution. Guard it and grow it.”
Ambassador Rtd. Col. Fred Mwesigye, Uganda’s High Commissioner to Tanzania, hailed Tanzania’s liberation legacy under Mwalimu Nyerere, urging disciplined, ideologically grounded leadership. “Youth must be the moral custodians of the East African dream. You are the right hands for our continent’s future”.
Strategic Alliances for a United Africa
Stanbic Bank Tanzania signaled its commitment as Mr. Omar Mtiga, Head of Personal and Private Banking, declared their support “not a sponsorship, but a strategic alliance with Africa’s future.”
A youth panel moderated by activist Shadya Maulid Kitenge explored themes of diversity and civic courage. Caroline Sarungi, a political science student, urged, “Unity starts with you. Diversity must be managed like a resource”. Peter Pombe (Nkrumah), a law student, added: “The problem is not always our leaders, it is the inherited, rigged system”.
With active chapters in Uganda and Kenya, AKSO’s launch at UDSM marks a decisive step toward institutionalising Pan-African ideals through youth leadership.
The event closed with a rallying cry: “Let this launch be the beginning, not the end. If you are a student, act now. If you are a dreamer, act now. If you are a leader, open doors. Africa is waiting”.