Social commentator and businessman Frank Gashumba has sparked nationwide outrage after declaring that Makerere University graduates who still use public taxis are “poor” and not working hard enough — a statement many have branded as elitist and disconnected from reality.
In a now-viral post, Gashumba bluntly stated:
“If you have a degree from Makerere and you still use a taxi, you have to work very hard because you are poor. How do you sit with 14 people who stopped in Senior Four when you have a degree? Education is meant to change your life. If you still eat one type of food, work very hard too.”
The backlash was swift. Social media lit up with responses from students, graduates, and working-class citizens who accused Gashumba of shaming those who continue to struggle despite having an education.
“This is not motivation. It’s mockery,” wrote one user.
“Using public transport doesn’t make you poor — being judgmental does.”
Another retorted,
“Some of us walk into boardrooms and still ride taxis home. What matters is impact, not a private car.”
Critics say Gashumba’s comments ignore Uganda’s high graduate unemployment rate, economic inequality, and lack of sustainable job opportunities — issues that continue to plague even the country’s top university alumni.
“It’s insulting to suggest poverty is a personal failure when the economy is failing young people every day,” said a Makerere graduate.
