Youth, stand up for peace, not violence, come January 14th, 2021, & beyond – Akampa Tanbull

Well, as I write this piece of article, there are sections of populations in Uganda especially the business community, the elderly, and foreigners who are scared of what will happen on 14th January 2021 or even after the 14th January general elections.

Some foreigners are already leaving the country because of not being sure of what the environment will be like during the election day or after and the people they fear most are youth who usually are seen as elements to easily be used to cause chaos and violence, especially in urban and peri-urban areas.

This is not good for our Country Uganda because it scares away potential investors and slows investment capital but also the rate at which jobs are being created within our country.
As a youth, the challenges are many including not having jobs or being underemployed and this situation was worsened by the coming of COVID-19, whereby more lost jobs, source of livelihoods, other salaries were cut. Life became worse than it used to be. I feel the pain because in most of the teams I was working with, our industry was hit badly off! That is events and Civil society especially the young growing organizations. Life will never remain the same! But let us not give up, let us have hope that the future will be better after COVID-19 vaccine is found. Let us keep our fingers crossed that the new year will bring along new and better jobs, that our Government will plan better.

Let us not be used by opposition forces to be perpetrators of violence, but rather let us preach peace, love with one another. We should desist from scaring away potential employers, investors. Let us put our political, tribal, religious color differences aside and aim at treating one another as brothers and Sisters.

Let us go to the polls peacefully and leave peacefully for those who will win or lose the elections, it is not the end of life but an opportunity to work and strategize better.

Vote for leaders who will preach peace and promise a better future. Whether your candidate is holding an FDC, UPC, NRM, ANT, NUP, DP flag, or independent vote for him or her for a better Uganda.

Uganda is here to stay but as human beings, we are just passing by, put on your party colors and feel free and proud, and do not insult or assault another person of a different party. I will put on my yellow T-shirt and you put on your red or blue or green, we will all remain Ugandans.

I will vote for Mr Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa for one more term of office, and I know on my polling station, there will be those of FDC, ANT, NUP, Katumba’s supporters and we will not abuse each other whether they lose and I win, yes, I have said it, on my polling station, Mr Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa is most likely to win, but we will not fight one another neither shall we abuse each other, because in a normal or even abnormal democracy there are those who will win and those who will not win and that is democracy.

I will vote for the way to a secured Future!