National Unity Platform (NUP) President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has urged Ugandan youth to believe in themselves and reject the culture of dependency. He encouraged them to take the lead in championing change through meaningful participation in the upcoming national youth council elections.
Kyagulanyi made the remarks while flagging off NUP youth members to engage actively in the elections, which are scheduled to begin on June 19 at the village level.
“You must stop believing that only incumbent leaders can win. Don’t beg me for electricity—I’m looking to you for empowerment. If we lift each other, that’s how we win together,” said Kyagulanyi.
Organized by the Electoral Commission, the national youth elections will allow young people across the country to elect representatives from the village level up to the national level. Positions up for contest include Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, and others. Successful candidates will progress through parish, sub-county, district, and national stages.
Kyagulanyi cautioned NUP youth against selling their votes or being manipulated by political actors seeking to compromise the process.
“Refuse to be bribed. There is no amount of money that can buy your future, fix roads, or put medicine in hospitals. These are things you can deliver yourselves—if you take up leadership,” he said.
Other NUP youth leaders pledged to mobilize peers to participate fully and ensure strong representation for the party at all levels of youth leadership.
Kyadondo East MP Muwada Nkunyingi also emphasized the importance of full participation, warning against only engaging at the early stages of the process.
“These elections go all the way to the national level. It’s not enough to participate at the village level and then surrender leadership at higher stages to the NRM,” said Muwada.
While the National Resistance Movement (NRM) has traditionally dominated youth elections, NUP says it is prepared to challenge that dominance through early mobilization and a strong focus on youth empowerment.
As the elections approach, NUP’s youth wing now faces the challenge of converting enthusiasm into actual representation—starting June 19.
