| dc.description.abstract | Promotion of youth participation in development is a key policy, legal, and institutional
objective. Participation in development does not only ensure that stakeholders drive the
development agenda but also enhances participation of youth since they are the majority of all
populations. Youth constitute the majority of workforce and consequently those who will be
affected most by any policy, law, or institutional program. Further, participation in development
is a legal right, a human right, and an obligation that the government’s duty holders ought to
fulfil to the right bearers, in this case, the youth. This study sought to analyze the status,
challenges and success factors for youth participation in local government in Kampala. The key
determinants for youth participation addressed were involvement in policy, advocacy, political
processes, and service delivery.
Employing a case study design with both qualitative and quantitative approaches, the
population of the study included youth, youth leaders, political leaders, and bureaucrats of the
Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA). The study analyzed and reviewed government
initiatives to promote youth participation in development in the triploid context to laws, policies,
and institutional programs, which involves organizational structures and offices, as well as
activities, using Key informant interviews, Focus group discussion, questionnaires and document
review.
The results of the study indicate that the local government has reduced engagement of
youth since the coming into force of KCCA in 2011, yet there are laws and policies for
engagement of the youth. However, the youth are not as well informed on participation,
especially the female youth who participate less than the male youth. Further, participation in
planning has been reduced, due to the current culture of promoting bureaucracy, and reducing
politics, at the KCCA because of the ongoing rift between the Executive Director appointed by
the President and the elected lord Mayor. The results indicate gaps in the areas of local
government involvement of the youth, youth access to financial services, and youth health
services. Gaps also exist in the monitoring and reporting of the extent to which the various
activities and initiatives have improved youth participation in development. In light of the results
of this study, there are numerous opportunities for promotion of youth participation in
development at local government.
The entry points for both government and civil society partners are various, but generally
categorized into legal, policy, and programmatic activities. For the government, there is need to
ensure full legal provisions in the areas of constitutional rights for enabling rights enforcement in
line with African youth charter, with specific legal issues at the policy level, there is room for
policy directives on financial support, health, education, and governance. Further, the youth need
to be involved as partners, and not mere participants in training sessions. There is also room in
development of policy positions so as to promote key gaps in education, etc. In addition, there is
need for multi-dimensional lobbying efforts to advocate for youth participation in decision
making. Also, the civic society needs to start, and grow the culture of research based, empirical
analysis, and monitoring, evaluation, and reporting on the status of youth rights generally, and
the implementation of dictates of African youth charter by the government of Uganda. Finally,
and outside the role of government, the study crafts unique advocacy plans, to serve dual
functions of lobbying the government to fulfil its obligations, while at the same time, offer
strategic interventions which can be implemented by the civil society. | en_US |
