Joseph Kabila, president of the Democratic Republic of Congo made history in 2001. He became the youngest democratic president in Africa. He was 30. For young people, it was a right cause to rejoice despite the contentious manner he emerged. Africa’s respect for age and the elderly makes it difficult for the voices of young people to be heard. Across the continent, young people are beginning to seek for openings and opportunities to be part of making the decisions that affect them. Consequently, when on September 13, 2012 the chairman of the Ugandan Electoral Commission, Dr. Badru Kiggundu announced Proscovia Alengot Oromait as the winner of the election into parliament for the Usuk County, it was an elated African nation that embraced the warm news. The day after, the Ugandan Parliament speaker, also a woman, Rebeca Kadaga gladly presided over her swearing in ceremony. She is the first to achieve such feat on the African continent. She follows in the step of Anton Abele who was I8 when she got a place in the Swedish Parliament, Pierre- Luc Dusseault, 19 when he won a seat in Canada’s House of common last year. Australia’s Wyatt Roy also made headlines two years ago when he won a seat in the federal parliament. The liberal Australian had hoped the opportunity would allow him ‘have a pulse of the issues’. He is still Australia’s youngest Member of Parliament.
Proscovia Alengot casting her vote during the election
In Uganda, it’s a subtle political revolution. Proscovia sets the record as Uganda’s youngest legislator ever. She first had to win the party’s ticket in the primaries before contesting in the bye election which saw the new politician from Usuk County, Katakwi district in Eastern Ugandan beat eight other same office seekers to a seat previously occupied by her late father Michael Oromait. Like father, like daughter! The sympathy vote that came in for her cannot be denied. But again, it is not all politicians’ daughters who indicate interest in national affairs how much replacing their parents in office. With 11,059 votes, 54.2 percent of the vote cast, she had Charles Ojok Oleny with 5,329 votes as her closest rival. Uganda’s constitution is relaxed on laws bothering on age barrier for office seeker. Before Proscovia was Cerina Nebanda in the Ugandan Parliament who emerged at 23.
Uganda has a not-too pleasant past. The cult-like Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) under Joseph Kony’s leadership has caused the nation pains in this bid to run the country along the lines of the Ten Commandments as spelt in the bible. This is notwithstanding Idi-Amin’s difficult-to-surpass record of human right abuse! In a country like that, it is right that people seek to know whether she would perform commendably in parliament. The fecundity of her mind is in question. The concerns border on what a girl who is just coming to terms with who she is having barely spent barely two decades living would know. I can understand the need for opinions to swirl around this new win. It is a continent where the Mugabe’s and Biya’s are president.
Of a truth, her education within a formal institution would be stalled. But then education can take place outside the school with proper guidance. She would need to read extensively and know why some societies fail and while some succeed. For a girl who has been on her school’s debating team and press club, this should not be a herculean task. She would also need to answer the question – Proscovia, who art thou mentor? What she would further need to do is to gather a team of young people with a patriotic goal for Uganda. She would need their healthy opinions and analysis to shake her space. Young people would listen and speak on her behalf if she strikes the right cord. Her Facebook fan page had four friends, I am the fifth. That would also need to change given the times. The 19 years old ran for election on the platform of the National Revolutionary Movement, NRM – the same party with Yuweri Museveni, the country’s president. She can steal the wind off the sail of the Yuweri Museveni and her voice would become the loudest in the country and possibly the continent. When the International Youth Day is celebrated August 12th next year, it is predictable that her performance would be on the table for analysts to review.
Miss. Oromait needs to break that cycle of silence over matters concerning children, youth and women. She can. She needs to take ownership of these responsibilities passionately. There are the latitudes her person and age spreads across. And for every time she succeeds it would not just be about her, it would be about the millions of young people across the planet; ditto when she fails. She would need the fierceness of Benazir Bhutto and a dose of Sun Kyi’s demeanor to do this. Even if she loves Michael Jackson, I don’t think she can afford to do the moonwalk dance. At least not again, given her new office, but she can heal the world, starting with Uganda. We may just have spotted the next president of Uganda in the nearest future without knowing it.
As it is now, it is not only what this teenage politician says that would be listened to. What she refuses to say would also be heard!
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‘Sola Fagorusi
‘Sola Fagorusi is a youth development advocate, freelance writer, accomplished debater cum coach. The Obafemi Awolowo University graduate has about 10 years experience in social entrepreneurship which straddles leadership, good governance cum anti-corruption and adolescent reproductive health. The Leap Africa alumnus is also a trained peer educator, a DESPLAY alumnus and co-facilitator. For 2 years now, he has been a technical consultant and lead judge on the Intra-Faith Peace Youth TV Debate Project facilitated by Youngstars Foundation and the British High Commission. He has anchored television and radio programmes in Kaduna, Lagos and Port-Harcourt. He recently won the Cleantech Poland International Essay Contest. ‘Sola blogs at www.kadunaboy.com and is in line for a Masters degree in development communication.
