Political parties’ national youth leaders under their umbrella body, the multi-party Youth Platform (MYP) have asked the Electoral Commission (EC) to double their slots in Parliament.

They want the position of National Female Youth Member of Parliament scrapped and each region to be represented by one member.

Uganda's National Youth Policy defines youth as those aged between 18 and 30. In contrast, the East African Community (EAC) defines youth as those between 15 and 35 years of age.

MYP leaders also want the number of youth representatives from each region to be increased from one member per region, to two: One to represent the male gender and the other to cater for the females.

With this, the youth leaders say it will increase the youth bargaining power in the House since their representation in terms of numbers will go up from five to 10 youth members in the House.

MYP, which is hosted by the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD) says the EC plan to increase the number of MPs should not be done in exclusion of the youth.

According to Ismail Kiirya, MYF chairperson, also Uganda Young Democrats president, the activity in the EC's roadmap of field demarcation of constituencies and new electoral areas in different regions is intended to increase the number of MPs.

“This activity calls for an increment in the number of MPs and it's presumed that EC is planning to add on about 45-50 direct MP seats. Not considering the number of youth MPs we have in parliament is totally unfair. We only have five youth MPs out of the 557 MPs and now if EC adds for example 50 direct MPs that means we shall be outnumbered as the youth,” Kiirya said.

Kiirya added: "So, if the issue is increasing MPs, then as the youth, we also demand to increase our representatives in parliament".

Currently, the youth in the country are being represented by only five MPs. One for each region; eastern, western, central, north and one female representing all female youths in the country.

In their meeting which they convened on Friday at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel, the youth leaders suggested each region having two youth MPs from every region.

That is a female and a male from every region. They argue that this will also increase and beef up the number of female MPs in parliament.

According to Kiirya, the youth leaders have planned to engage the minister of justice and constitutional affairs Norbert Mao, the EC, and the legal and parliamentary committee on the matter.

However, the Demographic of Analysis of the 11th Parliament released by Parliament Watch Uganda 12.3% of the MPs are below the age of 35, while 36.1% are in the age range of 35 and 45 years.