Africa-Press – Uganda. National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi has officially flagged off the party’s youth to contest in the forthcoming national youth council elections, encouraging them to seize leadership at all levels beginning June 19.
Addressing supporters in his home area of Kyadondo East, Wakiso District, Kyagulanyi challenged young people to stop underestimating their potential and to shed the belief that only incumbents can win elections.
“Don’t beg me for electricity; I am looking to you for empowerment,” he said. “All we need is to lift each other — that’s how we can win together.”
Kyagulanyi, better known as Bobi Wine, criticised what he described as a culture of dependency, calling on youth to step forward and take charge of their future through active political participation.
He urged them to reject the practice of vote-selling and the temptation of bribes that could jeopardise their collective power.
“You should avoid being bribed. There is no amount of money that can buy your future, nor put medicine in hospitals or even make good roads. All these you can do yourselves when you take leadership,” he said.
The upcoming elections, organised by the Electoral Commission, will allow young Ugandans to elect representatives from the village level to the National Youth Council and Parliament.
Positions include Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, and other executive roles, with the process advancing through parish, sub-county, and district levels.
At the rally, other NUP leaders reinforced the call for early and consistent participation. Kyadondo East MP Muwada Nkunyingi warned that the party risked losing influence if youth only turned up at the village level and abandoned later stages.
“The elections will go up to national levels. Our hope is your people do not take part at village level and then leave the rest of the leadership positions at subsequent levels to the NRM,” he said.
Although the National Resistance Movement (NRM) has historically dominated the national youth structures, NUP believes it is now positioned to compete more aggressively.
The party says it has invested heavily in early mobilisation and grooming of young leaders who embody its vision for change.
Youth leaders who spoke at the event pledged to mobilise their peers and ensure a strong NUP presence across all electoral tiers.
They cited past neglect by government structures and expressed hope that youth-led leadership could finally address their communities’ chronic challenges.
As the June 19 elections draw near, the campaign marks a key test of whether NUP can translate its grassroots support into electoral victories within formal structures of youth representation.
For Kyagulanyi, the message is clear — empowerment begins with young people refusing to be used and choosing to lead.
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