The newly appointed Senior Presidential Advisor on Political Affairs Hon Ruth Katushabe has asked the youth leaders in the country to stay focused and prepare themselves properly for the future for an appropriate transition of power.
According to Katushabe, when people think about transition, they quickly think about the topmost office in the land without thinking about other positions that previously couldn’t be enjoyed by the young people or youth of today.
A few years ago, the Parliament of Uganda enacted the age limit law that hitherto was banning youth from participating in senior positions of elective politics especially when they are below the age of 30 and 35 years. But with the removal of these age caps both lower and upper limits from the constitution including for the topmost office, the youth have since 2021 elections showed up in big numbers to stand in positions that they were previously locked out from.
Unlike Before, Katushabe believes that the country has already started a transitional process from the older generation to the current generation of young people where there is now an all-inclusiveness program and youth are freely exercising and enjoying a variety of rights enshrined in the constitution including a right to participate in elective politics regardless of their social, economic and racial status.
The former Bukomansimbi North Member of Parliament Katushabe made the remarks on Friday while officiating at the three days National Students and Youth Leaders Empowerment Summit 2023 in Kampala which was attended by several high-ranking dignitaries including State House Comptroller Madam Jane Barekye, former youth leaders, Ministers, Local Government leaders, among others, most of whom are products of previous regimes of youth leadership.
While at the Summit, Katushabe commended the youth for having taken up the responsibility of preparing for the future saying that having them in vital offices where they are managing big budgets for youth programs and with power and authority to ably represent them in various capacities, is itself alone transition.
“We are already in the transition. Our transition is already here advising the President even. We used to hear presidential advisors who were very old people but look, we are now in charge “said Katushabe.
She added “When they talk of transition, most people think about the big office, but you cannot go to the big office when you are not prepared and organized. It is all about proper planning accompanied by the will of the people whom the constitution gives the power to decide on who should lead them”.
To buttress her statements, Katushabe narrated to the youth how she was born from a humble family background with her father being disabled and her mother blind but she managed to reach where she has reached in terms of leadership and education because of the social capital by her parents.
Thus, she asked the youth in leadership to stay focused regardless of where they were coming from.
Katushabe Ruth to the limelight in 2016 as MP for a combined total of five years during her time as a legislator, she mainly advocated for improving household income, addressing the issue of a chronic shortage of water which used to affect farming and other activities in the district as well as the issue of health services.
The Senior Presidential Advisor Katushabe who started her official career at Uganda Media Centre has since indicated that many people are working but are not getting enough money adding that there is a need to sensitize people on a culture of saving what they earn as they look for more ways to get additional income.
However, while speaking at the same Youth Summit which was graced by the Lwengo District Chairperson and formerly the Secretary General of the National Youth Council Ibrahim Kitatta appealed to the youth leaders to always accept to be guided by their seniors. Mr Kitatta also informed the leaders who attentively listened to his presentation that a good leader must be informed and knowledgeable.
“The first qualification of a good leader is acquiring education and a student leader without focus and guidance is wasted and is a potential criminal”, said Kitatta as he received cheers and laughter from the hundreds of youth leaders who graced the summit Courtesy of various University, National Youth Council -NYC, Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development among others.
The Student and Youth leaders led by Kato Serusiba resolved to organize more engagements with more peers to spread the message across the country and called on the Government to assist them in taking this message to the grassroots.
The summit, organized by youth student leaders Kato Serusiba, Roy Rugumayo, Nakimuli Hanifah, Welunga Yusuf, and others was officially opened by Capt. Mike Mukula member of the CEC of the NRM was closed by His Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who was represented by the Government Chief Whip Hon Denis Hamson Obua.