Check your life, not your likes: How borrowing became a trap for Uganda's youths

Once upon a time, borrowing was simple, purposeful, and discreet. People took loans to build a home, invest in a small business, or pay school fees, loans were tools to create opportunity.

The agreement was clear: money was lent, interest was agreed upon, and repayment followed a predictable schedule. Communities understood that borrowing was serious business, and failure to repay could cost not just money, but trust and reputation.

Back then, debt was justified because it was invested wisely. A farmer could take a small loan to buy seeds and fertilizer, repay after harvest, and grow wealth. A student borrowed to fund education, ensuring repayment with future earnings. Loans were a bridge to progress—not a lifestyle choice.

Fast forward to today, and the story has changed. I have come across countless young men and women, clients, and friends who share the stress that comes with borrowing. Many describe living paycheck to paycheck, juggling multiple loans, and losing sleep over mounting obligations.

Some borrow to fund airtime, weekend outings, or gadgets; others take multiple loans to repay previous loans. Mobile loan apps, SACCOs, banks, and even informal lenders have made borrowing easier than ever, but also more dangerous.

Statistics show the scale of the issue: Uganda’s Central Bank (Bank of Uganda) reported that digital lending had grown by over 45% in 2025, with youth aged 18–35 taking the majority of these loans.

Surveys suggest that over 60% of mobile app borrowers struggle to repay on time, leading to mounting interest, penalties, and in some cases, legal consequences. Borrowing has shifted from necessity to habit, and often from opportunity to addiction.

The rise of mobile loan apps has created instant access to cash, which seems like a blessing for students, young professionals, and low-income earners. But the reality is far from benign. These apps charge high interest rates, sometimes over 20% per month and often reduce loan limits for repeat borrowers, creating pressure to borrow more to pay previous loans.

For example, a young entrepreneur might borrow UGX 200,000 to meet a short-term need. A week later, unpaid interest plus penalties can balloon the debt to UGX 300,000. Unable to repay, many take a new loan, perpetuating a cycle that feels inescapable.

Social pressures “keeping up with peers” or “looking successful online” compound the problem. The result? Debt is no longer a financial tool, it is a trap, and the trap is widening.

Debt rarely stays confined to the individual. In households across Uganda, salaries are already allocated to loans before being received, creating stress and tension. Spouses hide loans from each other. Parents borrow in children’s names. Family assets are quietly sold to meet obligations. Trust frays, arguments escalate, and in extreme cases, relationships break down.

Research from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics shows that financial stress contributes to 35% of marital conflicts among households with multiple loans, and over 40% of youth report anxiety linked to debt obligations. Beyond families, friendships and community ties suffer as unpaid loans create secrecy, shame, and relational strain.

Young adults are the hardest hit. Early access to digital loans, limited financial literacy, social pressures, and rising living costs create a perfect storm. Many enter the workforce already indebted, learning to repay loans before learning to save or invest.

A survey by the Uganda Youth Development Link found that 7 in 10 youth aged 18–30 had taken at least one digital loan in the past year, and most admitted to borrowing more than they could comfortably repay.

The combination of instant credit and social comparison has created a culture where “appearing fine” takes precedence over financial responsibility. Borrowing is normalized, and consequences, stress, broken trust, and mental health issues are quietly ignored.

What started as a financial lifeline has become a lifestyle crutch. Borrowers often take loans to maintain appearances, new phones, designer clothes, weekend parties, or convenience purchases like food delivery. Mobile app algorithms, social media culture, and easy approvals encourage repeated borrowing.

This cycle produces multiple overlapping loans, unplanned penalties, and chronic financial instability. While lenders see profits, borrowers see anxiety, isolation, and damaged relationships. Uganda’s Central Bank warns that without regulation, mobile lending can fuel systemic over-indebtedness among youth, with long-term consequences for employment, entrepreneurship, and social cohesion.

The antidote to borrowing traps is awareness and intentionality. Lifestyle audits force individuals to ask hard questions: Am I borrowing to grow, or borrowing to appear okay? Which debts are productive, and which are lifestyle traps? If all loans disappeared tomorrow, would I collapse or thrive?

Productive debt, education, skills, or business investment can build long-term wealth. Lifestyle debt, gadgets, social outings, or appearances, creates cycles of dependency. By auditing their financial choices, individuals can distinguish between the two, reduce unnecessary loans, and prioritize savings.

Government and institutions also have roles to play. Strengthening oversight of mobile lenders, ensuring transparency of interest rates, promoting financial literacy, and supporting youth entrepreneurship can help prevent over-indebtedness. But change begins with the borrower. Awareness, discipline, and intentional borrowing can break the cycle and restore peace.

“Debt itself is not the enemy. Unexamined living is. When borrowed money dictates lifestyle, relationships suffer, sleep is restless, and freedom fades. The richest life is not the one that looks good on social media, it is the one that sleeps peacefully at night, preserves trust, and builds a future with intention”.

Ask yourself: Are my debts empowering me or imprisoning me? Am I borrowing to survive, to impress, or to grow? Checking your life, not your likes, may be the most radical and most rewarding act of all.

The writer is a chartered Accountant and a certified Tax Advisor