Canadian prime minister appoints Ugandan to lead youth council

CANADA | PM | UGANDAN | APPOINTED

The Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has appointed Ugandan pilot Robert Kateera to lead the Trudeau Youth Council.

The Trudeau Youth Council is a Canadian-based group of elite youth selected based on their excellence across the globe. It provides non-partisan advice to the prime minister and world leaders on issues of importance to them.

The council is one of the mechanisms to support the government’s commitment to listening to young people and engaging them in dialogue.

Kateera was appointed at the annual glitzy prime minister’s dinner held recently at the prime minister’s residence, Sussex Dr. Ottawa, Canada.

Stunned 

Upon accepting the appointment, the 27-year-old said he was stunned by the new position and will use it to empower many youths, including those in Uganda, through investment.

Kateera’s role as leader will be to intensify political cooperation at the national and international levels based on the foundations of the council.

He said: “My appointment will put the young women and men of Uganda at the center of its investments through human capital projects focused on youth entrepreneurship, education, and skill development through scholarships." We will also launch jobs for youth through projects focused on job creation, equipping young people with the skills needed for the digital economy.

“I will leverage my influence to urge the Ugandan government and East Africa at large to commit the right resources and enact policies to ensure a path to prosperity is within reach for youth, women, and children.

I will promote a policy-enabling environment for a youth entrepreneurship ecosystem and create a platform that will hear directly from young change-makers on ways to harness the skills, talents, and ideas of the Ugandan youth.” At the function, Trudeau said:

“Kateera is a focused and determined young man I have come to know through his career. I appoint him to lead the youth council, and I am sure he will do a good job. "With the council, we listen to youth across the country and worldwide with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences. This is a top priority for the government.”

About Kateera

Kateera attended Taibah College High School in 2012, and Kajjansi Flying School, in Kampala, before relocating to Canada in 2015 to pursue further training at the Toronto Airways Canadian Flight Academy.

In 2017, Kateera was acknowledged as an excellent young African by Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie.