A section of NRM Youth League leaders from across the country on Wednesday endorsed Siyemah Atukunda for the position of National Female Youth Member of Parliament, ahead of the party’s internal primaries scheduled in line with the 2025 NRM and Electoral Commission (EC) youth electoral roadmaps.
The endorsement came during a national mobilisation meeting convened by Siyemah in Kampala, which brought together youth leaders from all subregions—district and division chairpersons who form part of the Electoral College for youth MPs under the National Youth Council framework.
Speaking during the gathering, Siyemah unveiled her “Transformational Youth Agenda,” a manifesto built around economic empowerment, policy advocacy, and social protection for Uganda’s youth, who constitute 70% of the population, according to UBOS 2024 data.
“Young people need vibrant, informed, and action-oriented representation in Parliament,” Siyemah said. “I am running to be a vessel of hope, a leader who listens, understands, and fights for policies that can economically transform our generation.”
She cited a number of persistent concerns raised by youth from across the country, including:
Limited access to capital under youth-targeted government programmes like PDM and the Youth Livelihood Fund,
Exclusion from policy formulation despite making up the majority population,
High unemployment rates,
Gender-based challenges affecting the girl child, including school dropouts, teenage pregnancies, and underrepresentation in leadership.
“We believe that if the young people are economically empowered, then development is assured,” she added. “We are asking government to prioritise meaningful youth inclusion and walk with us in this journey of transformation.”
Several leaders who attended also pledged support for Siyemah’s National MP bid. Nandawula Grace, a youth delegate from Wakiso said Siyemah had proven herself through consistent monitoring of government programmes at the grassroots.
Similarly, Herbert Nuwagaba from Kagadi urged delegates to “reject candidates with empty manifestos” and back a candidate who “knows the real struggles of the youth.”
According to the official NRM Electoral Commission, internal party primaries for youth positions—including the National Youth MP race—will be conducted in August 2025, following regional consultations in July.
Under the national Electoral Commission’s roadmap, elections for the National Youth Council structures will be held between October and November 2025, with the National Youth Delegates Conference to elect Youth MPs scheduled for December 2025.
