Swedish ambassador calls for increased role of youth in govt

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The Swedish embassy in Uganda on Thursday, September 19, 2024, convened the celebrations of this year's International Day of Democracy with a call to Uganda to uplift the status of youth in public affairs.

The event was held at the residence of Maria Håkansson, the ambassador of Sweden to Uganda in Kololo in Kampala.

Statistics from the recently concluded national census showed that 73% of Uganda’s population is below 30.

"We, therefore, believe that engaging with young people is not only essential but the right way to go for the future of democracy in this country, " Håkansson said while addressing a large gathering among whom were the academia, government officials, the diplomatic corps and civil society.

Highlighting the need for collaborative efforts to strengthen public accountability, Ambassador Håkansson said a few months ago, Afrobarometer, which Sweden has supported for many years, released a study that showed that the majority of Ugandans expressed dissatisfaction with their elected officials, with 75% of respondents stating that their district councillors do not listen to the concerns of ordinary people.



An even higher percentage, 85%, felt that their Members of Parliament ignore the grievances of those they represent after elections, she said.

However, the report also showed that Uganda ranks among the top African countries in terms of commitment to democracy.  

Håkansson said as part of her country's contribution to promoting democratic processes across the world, Swedish Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, on September 12, 2024, presented the annual Government Declaration speech.

"In his speech, he highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts to maintain democratic order and integrity, both domestically and internationally, framing democracy as the foundation of Sweden’s reform agenda," she said.

Upholding democratic principles

The International Day of Democracy falls on September 15. Since 2007, this day has been observed both internationally and nationally to reinforce the importance of upholding principles of democracy.

Doreen Nyanjura, Deputy Lord Mayor, Norbert Mao, Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister, Maria Håkansson, Ambassador of Sweden to Uganda, Jan Sadek, EU Ambassador to Uganda, Hon Francis Katabaazi, pose for a photo with delegates during the International Day of Democracy 2024 at the Swedish Residence in Kololo on Thursday, September 19, 2024. (Photo by Juliet Kasirye)

The Embassy of Sweden and the EU delegation, have a tradition of jointly organising this annual event in Uganda.

The occasion provides a platform for stakeholders, including rights holders, duty-bearers, and development partners, to discuss both challenges and opportunities for democracy in Uganda.

Unlike previous events where they have held dialogues, this year's event was commemorated differently with participants playing a game.

The game is called Electionville. Electionville is an interactive game developed by the Swedish Institute in partnership with our facilitator Max.

It explores the reality of what it takes to run a local government as elected leaders.

During the game, participants were challenged by the role of being decision-makers on budget allocation and service delivery in Uganda.