By Weswa Ronnie
SIRONKO
The Forum for Democratic Change [FDC] Party has embarked on empowering its youth leaders financially ahead of 2026 general elections.
While launching Sironko district FDC youth SACCO on Saturday, 13th January, 2024, Patrick Amuriat Oboi, the FDC party president said that they are moving across the country encouraging their youth party leaders to form SACCOs and at the same time give them money to start up the SACCOs.
‘’The National Resistance Movement NRM party has been taking advantage of poverty amongst opposition youths to buy them to cross to their party towards elections ending up weakening the opposition,” Amuriat said.
He added that this time it’s going to be hard for NRM to buy opposition youths especially from FDC because they are empowering them financially through SACCOs.
Phiona Nakayeze, the eastern region FDC youth chairperson doubling as Sironko district FDC youth chairperson said that Sironko district FDC youth SACCO which was launched has already over 50 members.
She said the SACCO is going to help FDC youths from Sironko and Bugisu region at large to access cheap loans to use as capital to start any business with less than 2% interest rate.
She said that executive leaders from national levels are going to start lobbying for more funds into the SACCO from development partners and friends in Uganda and across the world.
‘’ After launching this SACCO, we are moving to Sebei region next week, then Busoga and to other regions,’’ Madam Nakayeze said.
Richard Wabusa, the FDC chairperson of Budadiri West Constituency in Sironko district who represented FDC’s General Secretary, Nathan Nandala Mafabi, said that these youths are the ones who are going to help the party in mobilizing support for its candidates across the country in 2026 general elections.
‘’As FDC, we are ready to compete with NRM and other political parties from LCI to president come 2026 general elections,’’ Mr. Wabusa said.
Mr. Wabusa accused the NRM government of failing to support youths with serious programs of uplifting them from poverty for the last 45 years in power but rather use them in terms of beating opposition and fighting them.
He also said that they have already identified party candidates for LCI seats across the country and are just waiting for the electoral commission to declare the day for elections.
Margret Wokuri, the FDC Deputy President Eastern Region says that FDC is still a strong party and is now stable urging their supporters to be calm since those ‘’ Museveni’s agents ‘’ who were aiming to tear it into two parts were eliminated.
She said that they are very optimistic that FDC is going to take over the government through 2026 general elections based on new strategies they have planned.
Isaiah Sasaga, Member of Parliament representing Budadiri East Constituency on FDC ticket urged FDC youth leaders to use this SACCO as an important tool to fight poverty.
“FDC or opposition supporters and leaders face lots of challenges like segregation in terms of government programs like youth livelihood, parish development model among others and they are not given opportunity in public jobs if they apply,’’ Sasaga said.
Abdu Gadidi, one of the SACCO members, expressed his happiness saying this empowerment is going to help FDC youths in the area to boost their daily income.
He said that the district and other government organs have been segregating them in terms of benefiting from government programs but now they are going to get capital from their own SACCO.
