She Leads girls have asked the government of Uganda to involve the youth in the national budget formulation so that the issues which affect them can be allocated funds.
They asked national leaders especially members of parliament to tackle challenges that affect youth especially girls and Young Women on decision making and the transformation of gender norms in formal and informal institutions.
One of the participants from she leads Shamim from Iganga district urged the government to set up institutions which support youth skilling projects.
She reminded government’s pledge of providing free sanity towels to all girls who have reached age of menstruation.
While speaking at the function, the member of Parliament for Bukoto Central Masaka city Hon. Richard Sebamala has urged youth leaders to be aggressive and push for what belongs to them.
He made these remarks 30th June 2026 while attending a fire place conversation on Youth perspectives on the FY 23/24 national budget organized by civil society actors at Grand Global Hotel in Kikoni.Youth leaders at civil society organized fireside chat at Grand Global
Mr Sebamala encouraged youth leaders from the National Youth Council (NYC), Youth MPs, and civil society to petition parliament and engage all stakeholders on youth concerns.
“I have never seen you petition parliament or engage parliament committees during planning and budgeting.”he said .
“I want to see you putting parliament on pressure, we need to be inside that parliament and hear that outside parliament there is a group of youths demonstrating for more inclusion and youth focused programming,” he added.
He also advised youth to apply for PDM, Emyooga,Capital venture fund, and other government programmes for all ages.
Sebamala told young people to struggle for resources, learn about the government, and stop complaining.
The NYC budget was slashed from 4 billion shillings last FY to 800 m this FY 23/24. NYC Mondo supporters swarmed parliament this week to petition the speaker for greater financing. Francis Kyateka, the Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development’s assistant commissioner for youth, advised youth to get involved in budgeting from the start if they want their issues included in the budget and funded.
The MP for Mawogola south in Sembabule district, Hon. Goreth Namuga, criticized Parliament for taxing the weak and exempting the wealthy.
“Why tax social media but not gold?” asked Namuga.
She noted that this year’s budget relies on PDM to boost Ugandans’ buying power and earnings, so if it fails, the government would fail to bring people into the money economy.
Jacob Ereyu ,the Chairperson of Uganda Youth Council requested the government to put skilling vocational facilities and skilling centers in every district to help skill the youths at all levels of the community till parish level and this is to help the country in its development.
Some of the dignitaries that attended included MPs Silus Aogon,Phiona Nyamutoro andJacob Ereyu.
The meeting was organized by West Minster foundation for democracy, Seatini, Akina MamaWa Africa,Sheleads,Uganda cares among others.
