Background: Uganda's youth, constituting 78% of the population, face persistent financial insecurity despite expanding economic opportunities and financial inclusion initiatives. While various interventions have targeted youth financial empowerment, limited research has examined how control mechanisms influence the pathway to financial freedom in the Ugandan context. Objective: This study examined the relationship between financial control and financial freedom among Uganda's youth, specifically assessing how financial literacy, access to financial services, and entrepreneurial engagement influenced young people's capacity to achieve financial independence. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was employed with 450 young Ugandans aged 18-35 years selected through multistage sampling across four regions. Data were collected using structured questionnaires measuring financial literacy, access to financial services, entrepreneurial engagement, perceived financial control, and financial freedom indicators. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, hierarchical multiple regression, moderation analysis using PROCESS macro, and structural equation modeling to test hypotheses regarding relationships between control mechanisms and financial freedom while controlling for demographic variables. Sample size calculations ensured 80% statistical power for detecting medium effect sizes. Results: Financial literacy demonstrated significant positive correlations with both financial control (r = .523, p < .01) and financial freedom (r = .567, p < .01), with regression analysis confirming its predictive validity (β = .198, p < .001) after controlling for other variables. Hierarchical regression models explained 58.7% of variance in financial freedom, with perceived financial control emerging as the strongest predictor (β = .387, p < .001). Structural equation modeling demonstrated excellent fit (CFI = .962, RMSEA = .050), validating the theoretical framework linking control mechanisms to financial outcomes. Conclusion: Financial freedom among Uganda's youth functioned fundamentally as a product of control mechanisms, with financial literacy, access to financial services, and entrepreneurial engagement serving as critical determinants that operated both independently and synergistically through enhanced perceived control. The findings demonstrated that effective interventions must simultaneously address knowledge deficits, structural access barriers, and income generation opportunities while explicitly cultivating youth agency and self-efficacy in financial decision-making. Integrated approaches combining financial literacy education, expanded youth-centered financial inclusion, and supportive entrepreneurship ecosystems offer the most promising pathways for enabling Uganda's youth to achieve sustainable financial freedom and contribute meaningfully to national economic development.