“I adjure the youth/students to stay away from bad groups that might influence them into violence during the elections period.”

When I was a sophomore at Makerere University, my kid brother came to visit. He crashed with me for the week as his school was on holidays. I was a resident of Northcote/Nsibirwa hall, sharing the room with my cousin who doubled as a very close friend. My brother’s visit coincided with a strike, and I can not recall what the university students were fighting for. Even though I enjoyed strikes (they paralyzed school and therefore there would be no classes for about a weak, etc), I never liked to partake in them. I hated teargas, and anyhow, just enjoyed maximizing that time in my room, sleeping in and watching movies on our computer or VCR. Oh, I also had a girlfriend who demanded a good share of my day’s time.

Anyhow, to cut the story short, I woke up one morning to find my kid brother gone. He returned later with tales of being involved in the university strike, even though he was only in about 13th or 14th grade (S1 or S2). I was in university and I wasn’t hurling stones at people and property. He was in a secondary school, and he was fighting our battles! The thrill and excitement led my brother to the encouter, which could have ended up dangerously for him and me. Him dead, and me, explaining to a devastated mother.

Election violence is no different. Children who are not yet of voting age may ironically be caught in the mix, thinking it is exciting and in the end may end up dead, in prison or other consequences. We need to educate them to stay away from trouble, as the young man in the image rightly stresses. If you are student and have landed on this page, you need to spread this word to your friends, make a campaign in your school, on your social pages, etc. By doing that, you will be saving lives and building your country. Let us know how we can support your efforts.