Rant from Zombo: It is the youths' turn to eat
I spent the last couple of days covering the FDC polls and the drama that followed it, not particularly because it was an assignment but because I have deep interests in the future of this country.
Enough space has been utilized discussing the Muntu, Amuriat factor and as such I will waste no more time in that direction.
I will restrict myself to celebrating the man who carried the youth torch in this election, the face of the population that has the biggest stake in this country.
I have always argued that the youth have an obligation to sort out the bush men, these bunch of men who carry a huge sense of entitlement because they participated in some war in the 1980s to “liberate” our country.
Years later most of us who belong to the post 1986 generation find ourselves caged in some crazy economic Nakba, absolute poverty, no jobs and yearly events where the old man from Bunyoro comes to read some crazy statistics on how the country’s GDP is growing steadily.
To a village boy from Zombo, these figures don’t make a lot of sense until I see tangible benefits!!
Travelling to my home village during the rainy season is a mature curse, the road makes you believe you have left Uganda and crossed to the ungovernable parts of the DRC.
The youth spend endless times by the road sides discussing who owns which vehicle and how the village is developing because so and so has a built a new house.
When December sets in, the gang responsible for the economic nakba drive by with the big vehicles and the youth clap in admiration
The rest of the time is spent betting, drinking cheap local brew and buvera and discussing the size of the behind of girls who pass by.
This desperate youth population cannot be helped by these bushmen, who after fighting in 1986 split into the government and the opposition wing.
The government wing is desperate to cling to power and as such will do anything to keep the opposition wing at bay.
Huge populations of young people get brutalized, maimed and even killed by a crazy force that appears to have no idea of the law they enforce as they put their energy on dealing with the opposition wing of of the bushmen
Iam for a youth led revolution, a youth led initiative that flashes out the we fought mentality and sets pace for a fresh start, a generation of leaders who understand the 21st century needs of the huge youth population
And that’s why I celebrate Moses Byamugisha. It is refreshing to see a young man rise to the occasion and articulate issues and put on table a plan on how the country should be run.
We need more Byamugishas in the different political entities to set the pace for youth led politics.
Ours should be a change that is by partisan ,that celebrates leadership across the political divide, that rises above tribal evils and focuses on a national outlook.
It may take many more years but we need a generational discussion around these issues.
We need youth mentors who will drag the young people out of the betting houses ,lodges and start engaging them on having a say on the future of this country
Youth participation in politics should not be restricted to being purchased at a miserable fee to do dirty political work or to simply be used as amicus in opposition politics
It does not matter whether you aren’t in politics like myself or in the NRM or in the opposition, you have a duty to offer leadership, you owe your generation a duty to liberate them from the economic nakba!
Museveni, Besigye, Muntu and Mbabazi belong to the past.
They owe us a transition otherwise the duty of transforming this great country is ours.
They have made their contribution and we thank them but it's absolutely immoral to see the same generation at the centre of politics with the youth used as political condoms by the sides.
I stand for a youth led leadership in the future and the future is now!
