Youth Line Forum (YLF) in conjunction with Tanzania Youth Vision Association (TYVA) and Youth Agenda in Kenya has held a joint training to student leaders in the region with the aim of sensitizing them on the role in nation building.
The three days training that took place in Uganda saw a total of twenty students in attendance, 8 from Uganda, 6 from Tanzania and 6 from Uganda.
The Technical Advisor from Youth Line Forum, Ruth Asiimwe told the media in Kampala that the three days retreat was aimed at reviving the spirit of activism among student leaders as well sensitizing them on their rights.
“We are trying to make sure that these students from the region can meet and talk amongst themselves so that they can start to collectively advocate on issues that affect them in their individual countries,” Asiimwe said.
She added that, “The other things to see is how they can start talking about issues that are affecting the nations so that they can be a voice on the issues affecting their nations as well as those affecting the entire East African region.”
Reagan Muyinda the Chairperson of National Students Solidarity Platform at Kyambogo University in Uganda said that its time students rise up against the increasing restrictions on civic space mainly manifested through enactment of retrogressive legislations targeting civic activism in the region.
“We have witnessed a crackdown against civil society including university student movements, youth movements and political formations and military takeover across East Africa,” Muyinda said.
Jenifer Mukam Mbogo the President Multimedia University of Kenya noted that its time the students rise up to condemn State use of different measures and restrictions to curtail the work of student movements, activists and human rights defenders.
“This has manifested in the deployment of the riot police in Kenya to surpress student movements, in Tanzania, any student who is suspended or expelled from an institution as a result of engaging in any movements faces high chances of not being enrolled in any university in the country and in Uganda arrests, torture and imprisonment of the activists and human rights defenders is on the rise,” Mbogo said.
