National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Samuel Begira has been declared the newly elected Central Region Youth Representative to Parliament.
Begira, who currently serves as the Gomba District Youth League Chairperson, was declared the winner by the Central Region Elections Officer, Harriet Kasagyire, at Masaka Sports Arena in Masaka this evening.
According to the Electoral Commission’s official tally, Begira garnered 1,001 votes from youth delegates representing the 27 districts of the Central Region Youth College, defeating six other contenders by a wide margin. His closest challenger, Isaac Najimula, an independent candidate, came a distant second with 46 votes, followed by another independent, Churchill Ssentamu, who secured 32 votes.
The National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate, Edward Kulabako, finished fourth with 12 votes, while Gloria Namunyaga, an independent candidate, polled four votes. Andrew Bbaale of the Democratic Party (DP) received two votes, and Tony Raymond Jjagwe came last with one vote.
In his victory speech shortly after the declaration, Begira said the outcome reflected the confidence youth delegates have in both his agenda and the NRM leadership. He pledged to prioritise the concerns of young people and ensure their voices are meaningfully represented in government policy discussions.
Begira also appealed to his former rivals to set aside political differences and work together in advancing youth interests across the region.
Meanwhile, Edward Kulabako, the NUP candidate who placed fourth, raised concerns over what he described as open bribery of delegates by the NRM candidate. Kulabako argued that opposition candidates stood little chance of winning the youth election due to limited financial capacity, which he said made it impossible to match the alleged inducements offered.
On his part, Andrew Bbaale, the DP candidate, called for a review of the campaign framework for youth parliamentary elections. Bbaale noted that the current system, which requires candidates to individually traverse the entire region to campaign among widely scattered delegates, is financially and physically demanding, particularly for candidates without substantial resources.
He proposed that the Electoral Commission introduce joint campaign platforms, where all candidates can address delegates collectively, enabling voters to make informed choices on polling day.
Samuel Begira will replace Agnes Kirabo, the outgoing Central Region Youth Member of Parliament, who also served on the NRM ticket.
