KAMPALA, UGANDA | THE INDEPENDENT | The National Unity Platform-NUP president, Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine has challenged youths to steer efforts of creating political change through directly vying for elective positions.
Kyagulanyi made the remarks while addressing NUP youths during the second edition of their annual convention held at the Jinja city’s based agricultural showgrounds on Friday.
This year’s convention was held under the theme of “what young people can do to create change.”
Kyagulanyi noted that youth should kick start their political careers while young as it will help them to redeem time needed in creating long lasting political change.
“I joined politics when aged 35 and it was too late for me as I had accumulated a lot of responsibility. Most of you are still in your twenties, which is the best time to actively participate in creating the desirable change of your time,” he added.
Kyagulanyi relays that he is an inspiration to the youth desiring change, whose dream can be fully attained through active participation in politics.
He further said that leaders are defined by the number of individuals they are able to lift and their contribution to the struggle for change can only be realized when young people commit to take charge.
“Most of you are fond cementing your hopes in me, but I am equally relying on you to rise up for the call to cause the much desirable change we need and only that can highlight the level of inspiration I am able to extend to my generation,” he says.
Kyagulanyi adds that, electing for the topmost leadership is best complemented with like minded in the rest of the positions ranging from local governments to parliamentary levels alike.
Michael Adong, the NUP youth chairperson in Northern Uganda says that their area was previously marginalized following the wars, which existed then and it has overtime threatened raising voices for change majorly among the youths.
Adong however says that, with the ongoing civic education drives among youths within institutions of higher learning, the norm is drastically changing and most of them are slowly yielding to the norm of active political participation.
On her part, Maria Natabi, the youth chairperson in Eastern Uganda says that, several young often abandon political fortunes in the hands of the elderly, most of whom lack the charisma to agitate for policies prioritizing the generational plights in education, employment and social spheres of life.
Also, the leader of opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi notes that such conventions are geared towards igniting the youths to stand up to the occasion of restoring political sanity in their country.
Ssenyonyi says it’s only when youths move to rise up against illegalities and unfair treatment that their rights are observed by power bearers.
*****
URN