Edison Ndyabagyereka Mafaari has expressed interest in taking charge of the National Resistance Movement Youth League publicity office.
“The NRM Youth League is not just a platform—it’s a battlefield for ideas, loyalty, and future leadership. My goal is to make yellow fashionable again, and ensure that by 2031, Uganda’s political landscape is fully consolidated under a reinvigorated, youth-driven NRM,” Ndyagagyereka says.
A statistician from Makerere University but also a banker from one of the country’s leading commercial banks, Ndyabagyereka says whereas he has been a politician all his life, he joined active politics in 2021 and since then, he has never looked back.
“ After the 2021 elections, I realized that if we, the sober youths do not get up and take charge, we could easily lose the country to un serious characters. I was inspired by the emerging of Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba as a perfect replacement for President Museveni for continuity and a peaceful stable transition. By 2022, I had already been elected the Vice Coordinator for Ankole Sub Region in the MK Army,” he says.
Ground work at PLU Secretariate
Ndyabagyereka says by the time of merging ounits in MK Movement, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba had already spotted his unique talent and commitment.
“ So he appointed me Youth Representative for Greater Bushenyi. After resigning from banking, I was assigned to head protocol at the Patriotic League of Uganda Secretariat and also act as an assistant to the Director for Mobilization,” he says.
He boasts of being the brain behind the “smooth” execution of several PLU activities.
“Every time you see a flag or banner of Gen. MK being raised, just know that I am somewhere on the ground coordinating even if I am not seen. I am also the one in charge of publicity for PLU,” he says.
Ndyabagyereka says with this vast experience, he wants to change the face of the NRM Youth League as the publicity secretary.
“Publicity is much more than just giving out of information about something for promotional purposes. You should also be able to study the trend and be creative. But most importantly, you should approach it with a mind of a good mobilizer. This is exactly what I have been doing. If we were able to change people's perception about NRM from outside, what do you think we can be able to do while inside? PLU is here to add value to NRM” he says.
Ndyabagyereka says he wants to stop NRM Youth League’s dormancy .
“The NRM youth League has always been a domant structure. You only hear about it at the time of electing it. In fact, at one time while at a function in Mitooma, in his speech, Gen. Kale Kayihura noted that the MK Movement was the one doing the work of the NRM Youth League at the time. With our involvement, that will change immediately.”
“If given an opportunity, by the end of 2030, more than 90% of the youths population shall be active members of NRM. All this largely depends on how the publicity office shall carry out its work.”
He says patriotism should be at the forefront of doing anything , and to this he says identifying and bringing on board patriotic cadres will be key.
“ Right now I can assure you that the youths you see promoting government programs in media or battling with sponsored opposition on social media, most of them are not in the NRM structure and they do this work entirely free of charge. If these are brought on board and are well organized, we can move mountains.”