On January 26, 2023 at a colorful function in Kakumiro district, the National Resistance Movement led by President Yoweri Museveni celebrated 37 years since it assumed leadership of the country. Youth Blitz talked to a number of youths who pointed out that although some challenges persist, NRM has helped uplift young people in the social, political and economic sectors.
Joan Kabaseke, 21, says one of the areas where the NRM governance has greatly impacted the youth is the education sector.
She says the introduction of Universal Primary Education in 1997 and Universal Secondary Education in 2008 was a game changer in as far as uplifting the social status of the youth is concerned.
“I would not have gone to school if these two programmes were not in place,” she says.
A report released by the National Planning Authority in 2019 about the impact of UPE revealed that its impact had been felt at household level with households reporting an increase in income as a result of having more people who could find jobs.
At post-secondary level, government has set up a number of public universities in addition to Makerere University, where youth acquire knowledge and skills. It has also set up vocational institutions to equip young people with hands-on skills to create jobs.
At the economic level, NRM has launched a number of initiatives aimed at uplifting the economic status of the youth.
One of them is the Youth Livelihood Programme which was funded to a tune of Shs 265 billion. The Fund targeted youth between the ages of 18 and 35 and many of the beneficiaries reported success.
Solomon Kasirye, 26, a farmer says together with friends they have been able to access money from the fund and start a poultry keeping project.
“This has helped us to fight poverty among young people. Now we can earn something that has enabled us to look after our families,” Kasirye says.
At the political level, youth today are represented at all levels of the country’s political structures. From the grassroots to national level.
Currently, the youth have five representatives in Parliament, the body that makes laws.
Mastula Nakazibwe, 28, a youth councilor in Kira Municipality, Wakiso district says the youth now have a voice in decision making.
Unlike previous governments, NRM has not ignored us the youth when it comes to politics. We give our views and our voices are heard,” she says.
The youths also have a dedicated ministry (The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development).
Sports
Yet perhaps NRM’s biggest achievement for the youth in 37 years is in the sports realm.
The NRM government has put a lot of emphasis on sports, an area dominated by young people. The construction of facilities like Namboole stadium, which was opened in 1998 and government’s continuous funding of the sector have given rise to a number of youthful sports stars.
These include athletes like Joshua Cheptegei, Jacob Kiplimo and before them Dorcus Inzikuru. The national soccer team, Uganda Cranes, also qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2017 after 39 years this being largely due to the increased investment in sport.
