The former Makerere University 89th Guild President, Robert Maseruka, has rallied fellow youths, regardless of their political affiliation, to contest for different leadership positions in the coming elections.
According to Maseruka, the youth constitute over 75% of the Ugandan population and cannot run away from the social, political, and economic aspects of the country.
“It is time for young people to be active and contest for available leadership positions in their respective political parties,” Maseruka said.
In an interview with our reporter on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, at Makerere University, Maseruka explained that the leadership role of former university leaders was a potential greenlight to future careers in the active politics of Uganda.
“We have had very many politicians who started their careers as university leaders and have had great impact on the politics of Uganda,” he said, as he called upon his fellow university students and former leaders “not to just stop at university politics but also go ahead in constituencies and contest for all those available positions.”
Maseruka, who is yet to graduate with a bachelor’s in journalism and communication in January 2025, has already declared his intentions to contest for the Mukono South constituency MP on the NUP ticket.
A second-year student at Kyambogo University, Henry Kayondo, however, expressed his concern towards the nature of Ugandan politics, which he said “has been dominated by the elderly.”
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However, in the 2026 elections he was optimistic to see many young people contesting for some competitive positions even when the odds may not be in their favor.
“We have had many young people showing ambitions in contesting for different leadership positions even when resources sometimes do not permit healthy competition. We have seen in some areas where young people have emerged winners against all odds,” Kayondo said.
As the 2026 elections approach, many political parties are having internal disagreements on who to give the flag for different leadership positions to and whether some of the brilliant young people emerging in different political parties stand a chance to be chosen as flag bearers against the old party members and incumbents still remains a mystery that only time will tell.
