Youth leaders in Eastern Uganda have called on the government to expand financial support for young people, strengthen disaster preparedness, and make greater structural investments in youth talent, particularly in sports and the creative industries.
The resolutions were adopted during the second sitting of the Eastern Youth Parliament held on Wednesday in Mbale City.The Speaker of the Eastern Youth Parliament, Frank Ssemugenze, said the resolutions will be forwarded to the National Youth Parliament for debate and adoption before being submitted to Parliament for consideration.
Ssemugenze said members are urging the government to expand young people’s access to affordable financing and strengthen market linkages through existing youth livelihood programmes. He noted that although the government has introduced several youth empowerment initiatives, many young people continue to face challenges in accessing the funds due to corruption and weak implementation.
“We passed this motion because there is still a huge gap in supporting the youth. Government should strengthen these programmes and ensure proper follow-up so that funds meant for young people are not lost through corruption,” Ssemugenze said.
The youth legislators also called for increased investment in disaster preparedness across Eastern Uganda, a region that is frequently affected by landslides, floods, and prolonged drought.
The motion was moved by Ivan Masawi, the FDC Youth Chairperson for Mbale City. Masawi emphasized the need for the government to strengthen disaster response mechanisms and provide sustainable support to affected communities.
He cited the resettlement of landslide victims to Bunambutye, noting that some families were allocated smaller plots of land than they previously owned, limiting their ability to sustain their livelihoods.
“If disaster preparedness is strengthened and resettlement programmes are better planned, Eastern Uganda can continue to serve as one of the country’s food baskets,” Masawi said.
Another resolution passed during the session called for increased government investment in youth innovation, technology, sports, and the creative industries. Ssemugenze observed that while districts such as Kapchorwa are internationally recognized for producing elite athletes, many talented young people across the region remain unsupported because of inadequate investment.
He said the resolutions will now be presented before the National Youth Parliament, which is scheduled to convene on August 8. Representatives from regional youth parliaments across the country will debate and adopt proposals on issues of national importance. The Eastern Youth Parliament is one of Uganda’s regional youth parliaments, which bring together elected youth representatives to debate issues affecting young people and develop policy recommendations.
The regional youth parliaments serve as feeder assemblies to the National Youth Parliament. The National Youth Parliament is a youth engagement platform that mirrors the work of Parliament by providing young people with an opportunity to debate national issues, pass resolutions, and advocate for policy reforms.
Once adopted by the National Youth Parliament, the resolutions are transmitted through the Clerk to Parliament for consideration by the House. While the resolutions are advisory and not legally binding, they can inform parliamentary debate, committee work, and the formulation of national policy and legislation. URN