By Oscar Kakande
The YEPPAD consortium partners UNYFA, TUNADO, and Woord en Daad, collaborated with African Youth Development Link among other stakeholders to develop the 2026-31 National Youth Manifesto.
The 5-year youth agenda was unveiled on August 29, 2025, and is set to promote youth-led accountability.
The Youth Empowerment and Participation in Policy and Development (YEPPAD) project is a European Union-funded project that aims to increase youth participation in policy and development processes at both the local and national level.
Within the YEPPAD project, supporting the development of the National Manifesto is one of the project activities which was successful following its launch. It is a 3-year project with Woord en Daad as the lead partner, UNYFA and TUNADO as co-applicants, and Trias East Africa and USSIA as associates.
The youth manifesto is an official contract that shows youth asks ahead of the 2026 general election.
According to Martin Wanzala, the Executive Director, African Youth Development Link, “This is not just a document we are launching; it is an agenda for young people to effect what they have always longed for that is youth led accountability. It is a framework we want to hold our leaders accountable with the right decisions that they are supposed to make or not on our behalf.”
“I want to emphasize the fact that this process is a culmination of collective effort especially of the young people and the different actors who thought it important to support this process amidst the most difficult circumstances with donor/ development aid shift or pull out,” he adds.
“As we look ahead, I want to welcome all of us by emphasizing that the launch of the manifesto doesn’t mark its end but rather marks the beginning of the actual work that must be done. It is one thing us agreeing on the demands of the manifesto but it is much more important so that the issues of the youth are worked upon.” Martin explains.
Speaking at the launch, Jacob Eyeru, Chairperson, National Youth Council, noted, “One of the things I have liked is that we have identified critical youth needs in the national youth manifesto that speak in a 21st Century sense.”
The keynote speaker, Dr Nansozi Kasalina, ED, Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre (JNLC), revealed the launch came at a decisive moment, as Uganda embarks on the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV). The convergence of the Youth Manifesto with NDP IV is no coincidence; it underscores a simple truth: the future of Uganda rests in the hands of its youthful majority.
“NDP IV acknowledges youth as a cornerstone of industrialisation and inclusive growth, promising to skill young people through vocational and industrial hubs. That is welcome. But the Youth Manifesto goes further: it insists youth voices must not only be recognised but also embedded in implementation,” explains Dr Kasalina.
She further revealed that Uganda is one of the youngest countries in the world. “More than 75% of our people are under 35. That is not just a statistic; it is our greatest resource but also our greatest test. she goes on to say, “We have a vast pool of energy and talent, yet too many young people remain unemployed, underemployed, or excluded from decision-making.”
Too many are vulnerable to the challenges of climate change, poor health systems, and political marginalization.
“The Youth Manifesto is not a luxury. It is a necessity. It serves three purposes, namely, it declares youth priorities clearly, it holds leaders accountable, and it unites young Ugandans across tribe, religion, gender, and party around a shared destiny. As Nyerere reminded us, “Without unity, there is no future for Africa.”
According to Elizabeth Ongom, “As the European Union, we recognise that the National Youth Manifesto adopted most of the plans of the National Development Plan as it seeks to address many of the challenges that most of Uganda’s youth face in driving social and economic growth, among others.”
“The European Union has over the years been an ardent partner in Uganda concerning working with young people. For the European Union, youth consultation and empowerment are important priorities for us, and in the European Union, we believe that young people must be involved in shaping and implementing their priorities.” She adds.
We applaud the Youth Coalition on Electoral Democracy in Uganda (YCED), African Youth, Development Link (AYDL), Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD), Open Space Centre (OSC), ActionAid Uganda (AAU), Prospect Initiative, Youth Tax Justice Network (YTJN), Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Youth Affairs (UPFYA), National Youth Advocacy Platform (NYAP), Woord en Daad, European Union, National Secretariat for Special Interest Groups, National Youth Council (NYC), among other partners who greatly contributed to the development of the National Youth 2026-31.