By George Bukenya
Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) Party argues government to handle the youth’s crisis with great care and due diligence list it risks experiencing situations that happened in other countries like in Kenya and in Bangladesh, Asia where the demonstrations by the youth forced the president to free his country.
The party’s National Youth Leader Dan Isimba while addressing reporters at UPC Headquarters at Uganda House in Kampala, warned that is the youths pertinent issues are neglected government should prepare for the negative outcome when they begin to react.
“Youths crisis needs Uganda and other global nations to handle it with greater care through proper budgeting for them other which government is seating on a time bomb,’’ Isimba sounded the caution.
He also called on government to release all the youths who were recently arrested during the anti-corruption demonstrations and also start listening to their concerns and stop using the ruthless response against them.
Isimba also advised government to initiate and develop sports infrastructures like play grounds in all the regions and Districts in the country because they will help in nurturing talents of the young people which in turn will help to create employment opportunities for them so as to eradicate the vice.
“ Sports has become a serious employment activity as well as a source of revenue not only to individuals but also to government, therefore government need to plan very well for the sector to have it grow big.“ He said.
He also implored government to equitably distribute the financial resources to the different sports Federations rather than having a huge portion allocate to one federation like it’s the case where a large percentage allocated to National Council of Sports goes to the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA).
The head of ideologies and Research at UPC, Christopher Lwanga said that his party is taking a different ideology as opposed to demonstration and he justified why his youthful politicians don’t engage in demonstration because it’s risky for them.
“ Our party doesn’t have the means that can allow its youth to engage in demonstration kind of politics so as to compel government to do things that are pro-people and this make some Ugandans think that we are working under the ruling party,“ Lwanga reasoned.
He said that the party doesn’t have a strong legal department and resources that can help finance and sustain such activities like other opposition political parties do and this forces them to abstain from such.
“ We follow constructive engagement of issued based rather than reactionary through demonstrations and strikes because as a party we believe that this can also work.’’ He explained.
Meanwhile the youths in Uganda are preparing to join the rest of their counter-parts globally to celebrate the International Youth Day that will be commemorated on August 12, 2024.
It will be commemorated under the global theme; “ Youth Digital Pathway for Sustainable Development’’, while the national theme is, “ Skills Development for Enhancement of Youth Opportunities’’.