On April 24, 2025, I was invited as a panelist to the 2nd Guild Leaders’ Summit at Makerere University, hosted by the Guild Leaders Academy. The theme, “Leaders with Integrity: Building Foundations for Good Governance in East Africa,” was a powerful reminder that we, as young people, hold the key to transforming our region. The summit brought together passionate student leaders from across the East African Community with several key government stakeholders from Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, including H.E. Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, H.E. Jessica Alupo, former Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Ruhakana Rugunda, Justice Simon Byabakama, Hon. Mathew Rukikaire, and European Union Deputy Ambassador Mr. Guillaume Chartrain, among others.

During the summit, several critical topics were discussed, including:

• Institutional Accountability: The Backbone of Good Governance
• Youth Participation in Governance: Transforming Vision into Action
• Youth and Elections: Ensuring Participation and Accountability for a Democratic Future

The theme that echoed louder than any other was “Youth Participation in Democratic Governance”. Across many countries, constitutional reforms have opened the door for youth and women to claim space in leadership, from youth councils to affirmative seats in parliament. These are critical wins. But the deeper question remains: Are these pathways truly equitable? Are our electoral systems fair and inclusive, or do structural barriers still keep us from real power?

While speaking on the second panel, I paused a series of important questions to fellow young people: How do we boldly step into leadership and drive the kind of change our societies desperately need? How do we harness the platforms and privileges we now have to shape a future grounded in justice, integrity, and accountability?

I addressed head-on the barriers that continue to silence and sideline young voices, including tokenism, the exorbitant cost of running for office, and the pervasive threat of sexual violence in politics. These are not abstract challenges, they are lived realities that limit our access to power and corrupt the promise of democracy. As such, I called for urgent electoral reforms, pushing for policies that cap campaign spending, ensuring the political playing field is open to all and not just the privileged few. We must confront the uncomfortable truths that too often go unspoken. Tokenism, sexual violence in politics, and the prohibitive cost of running for office continue to block young people from stepping into leadership. These barriers don’t just limit our participation, they erode the integrity of democracy itself, weakening the foundations of genuine representation and accountability.”

“We cannot continue to let short-term handouts dictate long-term leadership. It’s time to elect leaders with vision, integrity and the courage to enact policies that uplift and transform our nations.”

          Vicky Namugobe, 7th Speaker of the National Youth Parliament

On the growing menace of sexual violence in political spaces,  I said, “We must not remain silent. As the next generation of leaders, we must be unwavering in our stand against exploitation in all its forms. Stronger laws must be enacted and enforced to protect those most vulnerable and to ensure our political spaces are safe, inclusive, and just for everyone.”

To every young changemaker listening or reading this: The time is now. We can no longer afford to sit back and wait for the perfect moment to act. Whether your path is in politics, civil society, entrepreneurship, or advocacy, the opportunity to make a difference is already in your hands. The future belongs to us, but only if we claim it.

The summit concluded with the Kampala Declaration, a bold call to action from the guild leaders across East Africa to prioritise.

• Advancing gender-sensitive policies that empower women and girls to effectively participate in decision-making processes.
• Strengthening civic engagement to ensure active youth participation in governance
• Championing environmentally sustainable development.
• Improving cross-border infrastructure to support trade and integration.

As we reflect on the outcomes of the summit, I leave you with the powerful words of two leaders:

“Leadership can take many forms—not only through elective or public office. As one aspires to leadership positions, they must remember that every decision made today will shape the future for generations to come.”

          Mr. Guillaume Chartrain, EU Deputy Ambassador

“Leadership with integrity is a journey, an ongoing responsibility. It does not begin with a title, nor does it end with applause. It is defined by what it builds and what it leaves behind.”

          Justice Simon Byabakama, Chairperson, Electoral Commission

These words capture the essence of true leadership: one that is principled, people-centered, and enduring. Let us not wait for change. Let us be the change.

Namugobe Vicky

7th Speaker, National Youth Parliament

 

 

The 5th sitting of the East African Community Youth Parliament (Vijana Assembly) facilitated by Faraja Africa Foundation and the East African Legislative Assembly in partnership with Akina mama wa Afrika and partners brought together over 100 youth parliamentarians from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, DRC and South Sudan to discuss pressing matters including climate-change, sexual and reproductive health and rights, agriculture, violence and conflict resolution, amongst others.

During the sessions, members echoed the urgent need for a harmonized approach to the issue of single-use plastics in East Africa and brought forward a motion urging member states to adopt legislation to curb the impacts that single-use plastics have on our environment, economy, climate and human health across the region.

 Single-use plastics and climate change 

The plastic industry is responsible for at least 232 million tonnes of planet-warming emissions each year, according to the Beyond Plastics report and their impact doesn’t stop there. 

From its production to its end-of-life, plastics pump greenhouse gases at every stage of their life cycle, starting from the fossil fuels extracted underground, to extreme temperatures and excessive amounts of water used to create, transform and mould them.

Once they’re created, they never disappear. They break into small particles – micro-plastics – that have been found everywhere scientists have dared to look: from human breast milk, to the arctic circle and every part of Lake Victoria from the surface level to the lake floor. Besides polluting our environment and choking our biodiversity, plastics release harmful chemicals and greenhouse gases that contribute to the climate emergency.

Waste management, with plastics in particular, has proven to be a huge global challenge considering half of the plastics produced globally are designed to be used only once. According to the UN, we dispose of 300 million tonnes of plastic each year which is almost equivalent to the weight of the entire human population. This post-consumer plastic, or plastic waste almost always ends up in the landfill, ocean, natural environment or are exported to the global south where there is limited to no infrastructure to recycle, manage or safely dispose of this waste. It has been estimated that each year, plastic pollution costs $13 billion in economic damage to marine ecosystems globally.

Studies conducted in Lake Victoria showed that 1 in 5 Nile perch in the lake contain plastics and the highest levels of microplastics in the lake were found on the Ugandan side, which is where the plastic bag ban has not been properly implemented because campaigns to minimize single use plastics like the “kaveera ban” campaign have been ignored by the general population confirming that regional consensus around plastic legislation between member states is crucial to solving this crisis.

 Propositions from EAC youth parliament: banning single-use plastics;

Maliha Sumar member of the East African Youth Parliament representing Tanzania and climate change activist has been actively advocating to push for member states to adopt legislation to ban the use of single-use plastics in the East African Community

‘Since 2005, global exports of plastics have more than doubled in value reaching a record of $1.2 trillion and although we’re more aware of the plastic problem and its dangers, we are not doing nearly enough to tackle this crisis. In fact, plastics are thriving in our global economy. And in some cases, for example, the initiation of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, we are doing the opposite of what is needed for us to transition into a sustainable, circular economy. It has never been more important to take URGENT action – after all, it is and will be young people who are affected the most. Our shared resources, like Lake Victoria, are dying as a result of pollution and it might be getting too late if we don’t take collective action now. 15,000 people have already called for legislative change. My plea to our legislators is: please listen and take action’

Maliha Sumar, Tanzanian representative to the EAC Youth Parliament 

Today, over 2/3 of UN member states have conveyed a willingness to think about a new global treaty to address marine plastic pollution, while more than 1/4 of member states have directly called for a treaty.

Our plea is this: the time is now for further affirmative action to be taken by East African policymakers in order to preserve the health of our people, environment, and our economy.

Going beyond: The 5^th East African Youth Parliament 2022 speaks up

Plastic pollution is a critical issue, and its links to climate change are well documented. The stark reality of climate change affecting member states in the EAC requires urgent harmonized action. In Tanzania, extreme droughts have resulted in national water and electricity rationing as well as food and water shortages across the region, with some communities having to walk over 15km to fetch water. In Kenya, animals are dying like never seen before and the complete loss of vegetation on pasture lands is leading to extreme desertification forcing indigenous communities away from their homes. We have seen unprecedented rising temperatures across major cities including Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, to flooding, extreme droughts, famine, melting glaciers on Mt Kilimanjaro, and, in spite of being some of the lowest emitters in the world, East African member states are amongst the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. 

This is why it’s of high importance that our governments take serious, synchronized and timely action to address climate change in our region with the following propositions from youth members of parliament;

• Assign an East African Youth Envoy on Climate Change as a focal point for advocacy and implementation of our agenda 
• Ban imports on all plastic waste coming in from outside the region 
• Adopt harmonized legislation across the East African region to effectively tackle illegal plastic trade across the border and pollution across our borders through a legislative ban on specific, unnecessary single-use plastic items including straws, bags, microbeads and more
• Allocate funds within each member states national budget to address damage, adaptation and mitigation efforts
• Lobby the world’s largest polluters and emitters to reduce their footprint 
• Transition into renewable sources of energy and a circular economy 
• Foster a friendly environment through tax exemptions and more for start-ups, industries and innovators who are embracing reusable, biodegradable and compostable plastic substitute

• These propositions and more have been taken to lawmakers at the East African Legislative Assembly to take forward through a petition presented to the speaker’s office at the East African Legislative Assembly.

Call to Action

Young people of East Africa have come up with ways to make a call to action using advocacy tools such as petitions to make their voices heard about the end of the single use plastics.

Petitions such as #plasticrevolution using reuse innovation, education through activism and advocating for a regional ban on single-use plastics. The petition has reached 15,000 signatures calling on our leaders to take action and ban unnecessary single-use plastics across East Africa.

Sign the petition here:End Single use plastics in East Africa 

We call on our leaders now, to hear our pleas, and unite for change

 Written by Maliha Sumar with assistance from Advocacy office