Lira, Uganda | Youth leaders in Lira City have raised alarm over what they describe as systematic efforts by older political actors to sabotage the electoral space meant for young people within the National Resistance Movement (NRM), accusing them of using age-based petitions to block legitimate youth aspirants.
The concerns were voiced during a press briefing held on Wednesday, 6 August 2025, at Benvia Hotel in Lira City, where prominent youth figures said that the party’s internal democracy was under threat from external manipulation and self-serving actors intent on hijacking youth positions.
Andrew Onyek, General Secretary of the NRM Youth League for Lira City West Division, expressed frustration at what he called a campaign of character assassination and social media propaganda targeting female youth parliamentary aspirants, particularly Fiona Nakku and Mercy Kanyesigye.
He accused individuals above 45 years of age, some of whom are civil servants, of meddling in youth elections by hiding behind legal technicalities and malicious petitions.
Onyek argued that such interference not only undermines the spirit of the National Youth Council Act but also weakens trust in the NRM’s commitment to nurturing young leaders.
He urged President Yoweri Museveni and the NRM Electoral Commission to safeguard youth participation and prevent elite capture of youth platforms.
His counterpart, Ongora Brian Yeko (popularly known as Awi-Awobe) who chairs the NRM Youth League in Lira City, warned of a deeper crisis within the party, saying that the ongoing petitions reflect a well-established pattern in which external actors exploit legal loopholes to dislodge capable youth leaders.
He noted that these tactics were not new and cited historical parallels, claiming that similar petitions were used in the 2020 race to undermine Blaise Kamugisha, then a candidate for the National Youth Council Chairperson.
He further alleged that the same petitioner had targeted UNSA candidates in 2021 and that such actions often appeared to be driven by external instructions and financial inducements.
Ongora criticised the petitioner, Omujugujugu Moses, for allegedly advancing politics of identity, suggesting that his campaign appeared to be disproportionately aimed at Nakku Fiona.
He questioned the integrity of the petition process, particularly noting suspicious behaviour during a TikTok video where some participants concealed their faces, an act he claimed undermined the credibility of the petition itself.
He stressed that the NRM Youth League encourages healthy, fair competition rooted in ideas and capacity, not sabotage and character attacks.
Ongora also warned that persistent acts of engineered disqualification would inevitably drive young people away from the party and dismantle the foundation of generational leadership the NRM has worked to build.
He appealed to Omujugujugu, urging him, given his age and influence, to act as a unifier rather than a source of division.
Ongora said that while President Museveni has always emphasized unity within the party, such petitions and propaganda are tearing apart the cohesion among young members at a critical time.
He added that the party needs genuine youth leadership now more than ever.
Finally, he called on NRM youth across the country to reject intimidation, ignore manufactured controversies, and instead elect candidates based on competence, values, and a proven record of service to the grassroots.
The current uproar stems from a petition submitted by NRM mobiliser Omujugujugu Moses to the party’s Electoral Commission, seeking to block Nakku and Kanyesigye from running for the National Female Youth MP seat.
The petition also implicates Daniel Ongom, a member of the National Youth Council, though details surrounding his case remain vague.
The petitioners allege that the candidates are over the statutory youth age limit of under 30 years, as set by the National Youth Council Act (Cap 319) and the Electoral Commission’s guidelines for Special Interest Group elections.
The petitioners, represented by lawyer Aaron Amanya, followed up on their complaint by visiting the NRM Electoral Commission offices in Kampala earlier of recent.
They claim Nakku altered her age records to qualify for the race, a claim her supporters dispute.
At the Lira briefing, Sedrick Otolo, co-founder of Kakebe Technologies and a known advocate for youth inclusion, condemned what he described as elite interference in youth elections.
He urged young voters in Northern Uganda to reject wealthy candidates with questionable intentions and instead support youth leaders with strong moral values and proven grassroots service.
Otolo noted that the common practice of soliciting handouts from candidates diminishes their effectiveness once elected and traps communities in cycles of dependency.
He stressed that the youth must rise and claim their political space with dignity, warning that Northern Uganda can not continue to lag behind due to leadership gaps created by corrupt influences.
As preparations for the 2025 NRM youth elections intensify, the controversy over age eligibility has reignited debate over generational equity in Ugandan politics.
Lira City youth leaders say this is not merely a legal issue, but a broader battle for political space, representation, and the future of the NRM’s youth wing.
The NRM Electoral Commission has yet to respond publicly to the petition.
