A conference organized for NRM youth leaders in Kampala on Friday February 19 ended in chaos amidst accusations that the main organizer who is also a State House employee had pocketed money that was meant to transport an estimated 500 participants.

Pandemonium broke out during the closing hours of the conference held at Pope Paul Memorial Community Centre in Ndeeba, Kampala when angry youth threatened to lynch Joseph Ssewava accusing him of failing to provide them with transport back home as they had been promised.

Sources present at the scene told The Sunrise that Ssewava had to jump into his car and before speeding off to escape the angry youth.

Ssewava, who reportedly intends to stand for Youth MP Central, had organized the conference under his Uganda Youth Platform for Peace (UYPP) as an event at which those aspiring to contest for NRM Youth MP primaries would be given the opportunity to show their potential.

Sources say that it had to take the intervention of NRM’s Secretary General Amama Mbabazi (pictured above) who sent the money that got the stranded youth back to their respective homes.

The Sunrise has learnt that Ssewava had mobilised money for the conference including Ushs 2 million from Pastor Robert Kayanja and Ushs 1.5m from Local businessman Arvind Patel to cater for the transportation of participants.

The Sunrise has been unable to get in contact with Ssewava to comment on these accusations, as his phone was unreachable.

However, the conference which was opened by Buganda Katikiro Eng. John Baptist Walusimbi had started off peacefully. Walusimbi urged the youth to avoid getting exploited by some people for selfish gains

The conference was also address Col. Moses Rwakitarate of UPDF Air Force, who called on the youth to view themselves as Pan-Africans not in terms of tribes as the only way they can develop as a united force.

Apparently greed and lack of integrity among youth leaders seems to be a serious problem that has dogged many big and small conferences in the recent past.

During the 2008 Afro-Arab conference youth leaders who organized the international conference had to flee for their lives after they failed to pay participants’ per diem.
During the same conference, NRM secretary general Amama Mbabazi had to intervene to save the situation.

The lack of integrity has however spoilt the reputations and political careers of many upcoming politicians, mostly from the ruling NRM. blog comments powered by Disqus

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