The National Youth Council (NYC) leaders affiliated with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) have threatened to boycott the January 15 polls, citing delayed mobilisation facilitation.
The youth leaders say they’ve been mobilising support for their party chairperson and presidential candidate, President Yoweri Museveni, in their various districts across the country, but have not received any support as promised.
“We are reliably informed that resources meant to empower National Youth Leaders were released but never reached the young people who sleep hungry after mobilization, walk long distances to serve, sacrifice their livelihoods for the party. Instead, they were allegedly swallowed by small cartels,” said Mr Stephen Ndyamuhaki, Secretary Finance, Rwampara District Youth Council.
The NYC represents over 648,000 elected youth leaders, majority of whom are from NRM and independents. The youth leaders claim they’ve been sidelined from political mobilisation despite promises from the NRM Secretary General and President Museveni.
“In every single village of Uganda, there are nine youth leaders chosen by their peers. At parish, sub-county and district levels, these structures exist, live, and are rooted in the people. This is not a small group, not noise, this is the heartbeat of Uganda’s youth,” Mr Ndyamuhaki said.
The youth leaders are ready to meet President Museveni to discuss their grievances. “Many of us started mobilisation on the ground based on the president’s promise, and we’ve done it effectively in our districts. We want to remind him that yes, he trusted some people, but those people haven’t delivered his promise to us,” said Mr Alex Wamakota.
Edith Ayebare, Secretary Female Affairs, Isingiro District Youth Council, highlighted the challenges faced by female youth leaders, saying, “We are just like pictures. We’re not given any role, not because we’re against the government… We thank you for thinking about us and giving us the position of females at the district, but still, we’re disempowered and not performing any role.”
The youth leaders’ threat to boycott the polls comes amid concerns about the transparency of the electoral process and the treatment of opposition groups in Uganda.