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Youth participation in politics wanting
Despite the existence of good organisational structures for effective youth participation, Ugandan youth lack critical resources (economic and civic) to draw on in order to participate meaningfully in political processes.
Compounded by the commercialisation of politics in Uganda, the youth demographic has been used to support the interests of the dominant elite. The involvement of youth in political processes in Africa is more critical today than ever .
Uganda is one of the countries with the youngest population in the world. Today, more than 75 per cent of Uganda’s population is below the age of 30, with the country having one of the highest youth unemployment rates at 13.3 per cent.
However, the eminence of youth participation in political processes remains a major contest. Even with their numerical strength, the youth still face the challenge of participating meaningfully in politics.
On whether or not political parties in Uganda have provided adequate space for youth participation in politics, it is imperative to understand what institutional and organisational structures are in place to foster youth participation.
The Constitution permits all political groups to compete for political power. Moreover, in terms of representation, the Constitution is sensitive to the inclusion of marginalised groups such as people with disability, women and the youth. It provides for their representation in Parliament and local governments.
Besides, political parties have to a larger extent mainstreamed these constitutional provisions into their internal party systems. So, why is youth participation not translated into policy influence to respond to youth issues given their demographic dominance?
Kevin Seguya,
[email protected]
