Kampala, Uganda: Famed Ugandan Youth leader, Siyemah Atukunda, threw her supporters in utter shock on Monday after she announced her withdrawal from the NRM primaries for National Female Youth Member of Parliament (2026–2031), citing concerns about integrity in the party’s internal processes.
In an official statement released June 30, via her official X account at exactly 9:45 pm, Siyemah said her “painful but principled” decision followed deep reflection and consultation with party elders, youth leaders, and supporters who backed her vision for a Transformative Youth Agenda.
“From the moment I declared my interest to serve as National Female Youth MP, your overwhelming support, encouragement, and belief in my vision have carried me,” she started. “Together, we dreamed of a Uganda where the voices of the youth are not just heard, but respected, empowered, and acted upon.”
Siyemah questioned whether the youth leadership space had been reduced to transactional politics and whether corruption was becoming normalized within NRM’s processes.
“This journey, full of invaluable lessons about hope, sacrifice, and the realities, shaped how we, as young people, must confront leadership. It also laid bare some difficult questions that deserve our honest attention,” She said, “Are we pursuing genuine representation, or have we reduced leadership to a transaction?, Are our internal processes fair, or is corruption becoming normalized? Or are we still the custodians of a transformative youth agenda, or mere spectators in its capture?”
The former Secretary General for UNSA disclosed that during the consultation with elders and comrades, she was made aware that leadership is not only about pressing forward, but also about discerning the right moment to pause, reflect, and redirect, which formed a strong ground for her decision to bow out of the race.
“…after deep soul-searching and consultation, I have made the painful but principled decision to withdraw my candidacy from the NRM primaries for National Female Youth MP, with immediate effect,” she announced.
“This is not an act of defeat but of responsibility,” she added, describing the withdrawal as a necessary step to preserve the integrity of her vision and “commitment to service that is authentic, selfless, and grounded in values.”
“To the NRM leadership, I remain a loyal cadre of the Movement, inspired by the Pan-African ideals of our Principal H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. I continue to stand for a Uganda where youth are equipped, not exploited; empowered, not silenced.”
Siyemah pledged to continue advocating for accountability, equity, and truth and hinted at a possible return to public service in the future. “This may be the close of a chapter, but not the dream. When the time is right, by God’s grace, I will return to serve in a new capacity, armed with experience, humility, and even deeper resolve,” she affirmed.
Siyemah’s Journey
Siyemah, who hails from Mubende District, has established herself as a formidable youth leader over the past decade. Her journey began in student governance, dating back to her roles as Sanitary Prefect and Chair of the Disciplinary Committee in secondary school.
She rose to Deputy Prime Minister of the Guild at Kyambogo University in 2019, and later as 32nd Deputy General Secretary of the Uganda National Students’ Association, championing student welfare and education reforms.
Her official bid for the National Female Youth MP, launched in April, gained traction among youth structures after she was cleared by the party’s Electoral Commission. She had built her platform around employment, mental health, and transparency, with a message that Uganda’s young people must be equipped and empowered rather than exploited.
Siyemah pledged continued loyalty to the NRM and expressed admiration for the Pan-African ideals of President Yoweri Museveni. She also hinted at future ambitions, declaring that when the time is right, she will return to serve with “experience, humility, and deeper resolve.”
Her abrupt withdrawal from the race comes just after weeks of grassroots mobilization that included participating in high-profile youth causes, such as the “Pad-A-Girl Run” in Arua and the Kabaka’s Birthday Run, where she championed menstrual hygiene and girl-child empowerment.
Siyemah now leaves the party’s flag battle open for a heated contest between Gold Ikyiriza, Mercy Kanyesigye, Susan Katusiime, Diana Ampaire Kampe, Sandra Sarah Chebet, and Fiona Nakku as the remaining candidates in the race.
The seat for National Female Youth MP is currently occupied by State Minister for Energy (Minerals) Hon Phionah Nyamutoro, who has also been nominated to contest for the Nebbi District Woman MP seat under the NRM party.
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