As the country gears up for the presidential elections, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) National Youth Council has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to party leaders following their failure to release Shs 3.6 billion to facilitate the council’s activities.
The ultimatum was issued at Sheron Hotel in Makerere-Kikoni, where leaders vowed to stay away from the presidential voting exercises scheduled for January 15, 2026, if their demands are not met.
The National Youth Council comprises over 648,000 elected youth leaders—NRM flag bearers, mobilizers, and voters in the upcoming general elections. Across every village in Uganda, nine youth leaders are chosen by their peers. These structures continue to exist at parish, sub-county, and district levels, remaining active, lawful, and deeply rooted in the communities.
According to Ndyamuhaki Stephen, Secretary for Finance for the Rwampara District Youth Council, “For years, we have stood in the sun and rain, mobilizing without facilitation, defending the party without protection. We have carried the party’s message without support, and yet when it came time to recognize us, we were abandoned.”
Council leaders claim that despite their legitimacy and unwavering loyalty, they have been deliberately excluded from political mobilization, despite clear promises made by the NRM Secretary General and President, promises that gave them hope, dignity, and a belief that they mattered.
“We are reliably informed that resources meant to empower NYC leaders were released, but those resources never reached the young people—those who go hungry after mobilization, walk long distances to serve, and sacrifice their livelihoods for the party. Instead, these resources were allegedly swallowed by a small cartel,” he said.
Rwamakota Alex, Chairperson of the Youth Council Eastern Region, added that under guidance from the NRM Secretary General, they drew their budgets, which were later approved. However, to date, they have not received any funding for mobilization.
He emphasized that those who claim NYC leaders are already involved in mobilization “do not know our pain. On the ground, mobilization has been handed over to elderly, disconnected, and corrupt individuals, some of whom employ their family members while sidelining genuine youth leaders.”
“The President taught us that true mobilization is about listening to people’s problems and offering real solutions. What we are witnessing today is a betrayal of that principle. It is like asking an engineer to perform a cesarean section—a dangerous mistake whose consequences are borne by innocent lives,” he said.
“We are sons and daughters of this movement, crying out because silence is killing us inside,” he added.
The council resolved that if no concrete action is taken within 24 hours, National Youth Council members will lawfully and peacefully mobilize to seek an audience with the President, wherever he may be—not to fight or insult, but to present the truth.
“As we approach the elections, let it be clear: if our concerns are not addressed, we will not participate in the voting process on January 15. We believe in dialogue, but dialogue without action feels like mockery,” he concluded.
