By Jamirah Khassim
The National Unity Platform (NUP), led by opposition figure and former musician Bobi Wine, is spearheading a nationwide “Youth Village Elections Day” in a bold move to engage Uganda’s politically sidelined youth.
This initiative, rooted in the party’s “People Power, Our Power” movement, seeks to empower young Ugandans and challenge decades of political marginalisation.
Only 38% of Ugandan youth felt politically represented, underscoring the urgency of this mobilisation effort. The NUP’s grassroots strategy stands in stark contrast to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM)’s top-down approach, which reportedly spent Shs 3.5 billion on youth outreach in 2021.
This election day effort builds on momentum that began in 2017 when Bobi Wine entered Parliament, marking the rise of a formidable political alternative to President Museveni’s 39 year rule.
Museveni’s administration has faced criticism for allegedly manipulating youth councils with cash incentives, as highlighted in a 2015 Constitutional Court petition.
As polls open early this morning, NUP’s push signals a strategic and symbolic effort to reclaim youth agency in Uganda’s political landscape staking a claim not just for votes, but for generational change.