Last-minute postponement of Bugisu youth symposium sparks frustration  

The highly anticipated Bugisu Youth Symposium, initially scheduled for September 12, 2024, has been postponed, leaving many youths in Bugisu disappointed.

The event, organized by the Office of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) National Chairperson (ONC), was set to feature a key engagement with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on issues of youth empowerment and wealth creation.

The announcement came late Monday evening via a message from Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo, the National Coordinator in the Office of the NRM National Chairperson.

“My fellow Bazzukulu and people of Bugisu subregion, our Jajja H.E President Kaguta Museveni has guided that we postpone the Youth Symposium slated for 12th September 2024 to a near date to be communicated,” Namyalo’s statement read, citing the President's tight schedule but promising he would engage with the youth at a later time.

For two months, the Bugisu youth had been preparing for the symposium, eager to present their concerns and proposals to the President.

Among the expectations was the establishment of the Bugisu Youth Cooperative, the disbursement of the 5 million shillings pledged by the President to youth leaders, and support for vocational skills through the presidential industrial hub.

The sudden postponement, however, has sparked a mix of emotions. Some youths have expressed disappointment, with rumors circulating that certain local leaders may have interfered with the event for personal political gain.

Critics claim that some youth leaders have sidelined the majority of their peers in pursuit of their own interests.

Kevin Wobaira Yoweri, the Sironko District Youth Chairperson, dismissed these claims, calling them baseless. “This symposium was an initiative of the ONC, and the youths embraced it wholeheartedly,” Wobaira said. “We welcomed the idea and were ready to welcome the President.

We have been mobilising our youth through councils and media.”

He further explained that the Bugisu Youth Cooperative, which aims to support primary societies across districts in areas such as hatchery products, dairy, and agro-inputs, is not a personal project but a collective effort led by the youth leaders.

“We have been working on this initiative even before the symposium,” he emphasized.

Wobaira also addressed concerns surrounding the 5 million shillings pledge, clarifying that this was part of a presidential commitment made in 2020 to support youth leaders who had aged out of the youth category.

Despite the postponement, youths in Bugisu remain hopeful that a new date will be set soon, allowing them to directly engage with the President on the issues affecting their livelihoods.

According to ONC Regional Coordinator Chris Buyela, the President’s busy schedule is the only reason for the delay, and plans are underway to find an appropriate time for the event.

The event was meant to bring together youth from the 6 district plus Mbale city at Mbale Senior Secondary School play ground.

As the Bugisu youth await further communication, they remain optimistic that their concerns will eventually be heard and addressed by the President.