Youth MPs: It is time to work for youth

By Kenneth Nkumiro

Uganda joins the rest of the world to commemorate the UN International Youth Day 2016 today (August 12). It is a day to celebrate youth achievement, progress and gains made.

Uganda is one of the countries with the best legislation in as far as youth participation is concerned. With structures right from the village level to the national level and with space at all major decision making platforms we cannot have any better structures.

Surprisingly, youth participation spaces in Uganda has not translated in to the much needed policy and programmatic reforms that can make Youth and the country reap from the demographic dividends. With over 75% of the population being 30 years and below, as a country we possess the right energy sets to transform Uganda in to middle income country.

It is a tall order for those that run government but most importantly for the youth leaders at all levels and more especially at National level. The youth MPs sit in Parliament and should be seen to be pushing for policy that enables a conducive environment for youth in Uganda to thrive. It's the enabling environment and not the handouts that will transform the youth of this wonderfully endowed country.

An environment where those who are given incentives to create job actually create jobs for Ugandans and not their own nationals, an environment where the lending regime recognizes the unique needs and challenges of young Ugandans, an environment where the tax regimes recognize the need for nurturing young people's enterprises (did I hear some study say Uganda is among the most enterprising countries?) Young people in Uganda need an environment which recognizes that they have potential and environment that nurtures a culture of work and rewards hard work and merit.

An environment where young Ugandans know that you are rewarded by your efforts and not your connections or who you know in the realms of power and decision making, an environment where young people are not passive recipients but active participants, a political environment where young people's roles in building democracy is visible, one where young people do not see themselves or are seen by others as instruments of violence and negative energy.

This kind of environment can be achieved through focused representation, legislation and strong oversight by the youth leaders at various levels. The beauty is that the time for campaigns is not now and that for the next two years before the youth MPs start thinking of their next constituency they can focus on working for the young people.

It's a duty call for all the youth leaders to put government to task to have the right policy environment in place. In this Hakuna Mchezo term, the youth MPs can play their part by having the right policies and laws in place then the Hakuna Mchezo team will punish whoever fails to implement the policies. While we have a ministry responsible for youth, it's the call of every ministry, department or agency to be concerned about the youth question.

If your Ministry or department or Agency is not clear about what it is planning or delivering to 78% of the population then there is a big strategic problem and its relevance should be examined. Matters youth are no longer for the Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development alone.

They are multi sectoral and cut across all sectors. Government through its monitoring agencies (OPM, NPA, MoFPED) should ensure every MDA is responsive and again this is a call that can be made and pursued by the Youth MPs working together with the National Youth Council working with the line Minister responsible for Youth. The youth of Uganda have a clearly defined and well-crafted agenda to guide all MDAs in their manifesto 2016-2021.

The writer is a freelance youth policy advocate working with the Uganda Cooperative Alliance