BY DAVID MAFABI
MITOOMA
Youth in Mitooma district have endorsed President Yoweri Museveni Tibuhaburwa as their candidate for the 2026 General Elections.
“We emphatically recommend to the membership of the Ruling National Resistance Movement and its organs that His Excellency Yoweri Museveni, our leader and General of the African resistance, continues leading the party and the nation in 2026 and beyond as we eliminate bottlenecks to transformation,” Mr Adrian Namanya the Mitooma youth leader said.
Mr Namanya who was speaking to the youth at Bubangizi Secondary School on the occasion to mark; The International Youth Day under the theme, “Unleashing your potential and roles as a youth in National Development” said President should continue uninterrupted to pilot skilling programs for youth throughout this country.
“Thousands of youth have acquired skills in shoemaking, embroidery, tailoring, hairdressing, knitting, crafts, stone-cutting, bricklaying among others, we need to allow this to continue in order to help youth defeat poverty,” Mr Namanya said.
The youth presented a notice board whose resolution was signed by dignitaries including Vice President Jessica Alupo.
He urged the President to revive the youth livelihood program as one of the Government interventions which had responded to unemployment rates and poverty among the youths in the country to start their businesses.
He told the youth that President Museveni and the NRM government are committed to continuing to empower the youth and women who are economically disadvantaged.
Those who attended the function included Internal Affairs Minister Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, Defence Vincent Ssempijja, area members of Parliament, and local leaders among others.
Ms Jessica Alupo the Vice President thanked the youth of Mitooma for their foresightedness and urged them to make use of the government’s PDM which aims at helping people from the parish level to increase their household incomes and join the money economy to end poverty.
“These youths have demonstrated that the leadership of his Excellency President Museveni is one that embraces everybody; special interest groups; youth, women, elderly, disabled persons, and everybody else,” Ms Alupo said.
She noted that the youth could not wait to bring their message across adding, “We welcome the idea from the youth and that’s why we have signed on the notice board,” Ms Alupo said.
She explained that fortunately for the case of Uganda, the youth are a 70percent of the total population indicating that what they have signed today is already supported by a 70percent of Uganda’s population.
“Therefore, we other segments of elders, women, PWDs will just come to reinforce you in order for us to achieve success in 2026”, she added.
Ms Alupo however added that the matter shall be tabled before the President and the Central Executive Committee of the NRM party to generate consensus.
The Vice President explained to the gathering that she had consulted with the Justice and Constitution Minister Norbert Mao about the matter who informed her that the youth had not broken any law including those who signed on the board in support of having President Museveni as the sole candidate.
“When Mr Mao speaks, he does so from the point of experience, historical understanding of the country, and interest in building cohesion across the country. We do not take your counsel for granted,” Ms Alupo explained.
She re-echoed the President’s message for people to engage in Commercial farming which leads to value addition, ICT, Services, and Industrialisation adding that the NRM Government has built a strong foundation for them to do any meaningful economic activities.
Gen. Otafiire promised to address issues of electricity, roads, and water in the constituency, however, on endorsing the president, he noted the process of endorsement of the candidate is vested in the central executive committee and promised to inform the president about the youths’ desires. Nevertheless, he welcomed the idea from the youth.
He urged the youth to fight for their country but not for individual interests. “Stop fighting for personal interests, fight for the entire country that’s what we did in the 1980s,” Gen Otafiire said.
“Fight to build and not to destroy. Build the Capacity to resolve conflict without confusion that’s how a civilised community should be. Fight for value and what concerns you. Be careful by emulating the good examples of your good leaders,” Gen Otafiire told the youth.
Mr Nobert Mao, the Justice, and Constitutional Affairs assured the youth that the future of Uganda is very bright and they should keep themselves healthy.
He said Uganda is built on the dreams of the young people and challenged them to dream big and work towards these dreams.
This endorsement by the Mitooma youth means that Museveni who has been Uganda’s President since 1986, will now contest for the seventh term in office. He will be 81 years old in 2026.
In the 2016 presidential elections, the NRM party also endorsed President Museveni as the sole presidential candidate after former Prime Minister and the party’s Secretary General Amama Mbabazi expressed interest in contesting against Museveni. Mbabazi has subsequently forced out of the party.
The decision by the Mitooma youth means president Museveni 77, who has been in power for 33 years will now contest for the seventh term in office.
This will make Mr. Museveni one of six of Africa’s longest-serving president in Africa. He became president after his rebel group, NRA took power in January 1986 and for the next three decades, he has been in charge of Uganda. Ends
