NRM scoops five youth positions

The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party on Monday swept all the five youth slots across the country, exerting its supremacy over the budding youth-driven National Unity Platform (NUP) party.

Youth elections are held through the electoral college system of voting. Under the system, only a few youth or voters, who are delegates, represent the majority voters.  Youth comprise 78 per cent of the country’s population.

In eastern Uganda, Mr Bernard Odoi Onene Mutusa, the NRM flag bearer, was declared winner.

He was initially disqualified from the race on allegations that academic papers he submitted for nominations were not compatible with his age. 
In western Uganda, Mr Edson Rugumayo (NRM) was declared duly elected after polling 1,419 votes.

Across to the north, the seat went to NRM’s Boniface Henry Okot, 28, from Lango Sub-region, who garnered 1,280 votes.  He is from Kole District.
Elsewhere in the central, Ms Agnes Kirabo was declared winner, beating six other candidates.

The routing out of the Opposition from national youth election was completed with the NRM party scooping the National Female Youth representative, a slot that was taken by Ms Phiona Nyamutoro from Nebbi District.

About winners
Bernard Odoi Onene Mutusa
Born on August, 28, 1982, Mr Odoi sat for his O-Level education at Tororo Progressive Academy in 1999 and A-Level at Lugazi Homeland College in 2009. Thereafter, in 2010, he went to Kampala International University, graduating in 2014 with a Bachelor of Law degree.

Edson Rugumayo 
Mr Rugumayo was born on June 6, 1994 in Kiranga Village, Rwebisengo Sub-county in Ntoroko District. 
He went to Ngabe Primary School in Ntoroko for his primary education, Ntare School for both his O and A-Level. Mr Rugumayo, he joined Makerere University where he graduated with a Bachelors’ Degree in Quantitative Survey.

Boniface Henry Okot
Mr Okot is a resident of Akalo Sub-county in Kole District. He went to Lira Central Primary School, St Mary’s College Kisubi for both O and A-Level, before joining Makerere University where he did Electric Engineering.

Phiona Nyamutoro
Born in Mbaro Village in Nebbi District, Ms Nyamutoro went to Najjera Progressive for her primary education and later on joined Pallisa Secondary School for O-Level, before going to Bweyogerere SS for A-Level.
She holds a First Class Bachelor’s Degree in Development Studies and a Master’s in Public Administration and Management from Makerere University.

Background...How youths elections are conducted

The election of the youth representatives starts from the lowest level at village/zone/cell; then goes through to the parish/ward; sub-county/town/municipal division; municipality/ city division; and district/city; and finally to the national level.

According to the National Youth Council Act, a person shall be eligible to be elected a member of a youth committee if he or she has attained the age of 18 years and is less than 30 years.

Electoral College. The election are held through the regional conference at four of the traditional zones across the country, while that of the national female youth is held through the National Youth Conference. 

The Electoral College shall be the members of the District Youth Councils within a particular region, specifically consisting of the District Youth Committees (nine members per district) within the region;  chairperson of each sub-county/division/municipality/town youth council within the region; Secretary for Finance at the sub-county/division/municipality/town youth council; secretary for women affairs of every sub-county/division/municipality/town youth council; one youth with disability (PWD) at district level; and two student representatives from each district within the region, one of whom shall be female, nominated by the Uganda National Students’ Association (UNSA);

Youth Committees. For each youth council, there shall be a youth committee consisting of a chairperson; vice-chairperson, general secretary, publicity secretary; secretary for female youth; secretary for student affairs; secretary for labour affairs; secretary for sports and culture; and secretary for finance in the case of village up to district level.

In the case of the National Youth Executive Committee there shall be, in addition to the above, secretary for external relations and secretary for legal affairs.

Reported by Franklin Draku, Rajab Mukombozi, Alfred Tumushabe, Alex Ashaba, Yahudu Kitunzi, Cissy Makumbi, Susan Nanjala & Barbra Nalweyiso