Arua City mayor-elect Lawrence Alionzi and Mukono South member of parliament-elect Robert Maseruka have committed to prioritising sports development as a key pillar for youth empowerment during their time in office.
Speaking after their election, the two young leaders said sustained investment at grassroots level will be central to unlocking talent and creating opportunities for young athletes to progress to national and international stages. Their focus, they noted, will be on facilities, competition structures and inclusive programmes for both men and women.
Alionzi, the former Makerere University Guild President, said restoring Onduparaka Football Club remains a personal priority, describing the club as a core part of Arua’s identity. He acknowledged the team’s current struggles on and off the pitch and pointed to weak infrastructure as a major barrier facing young footballers in the region.
“Onduparaka is part of Arua’s identity. With the right support and better infrastructure, we can restore its glory and give our young footballers a chance to succeed”, Alionzi said.
He added that Arua still has the capacity to produce top athletes if deliberate investment is made in sports facilities, talent identification systems and community level programmes.
In Mukono South, Maseruka, the youngest legislator in the 12th Parliament, said expanding competitive opportunities will be key to raising standards across different disciplines. He believes regular tournaments will help expose talent and create pathways for athletes to grow.
“By organizing more sports tournaments, we can grow sports in Mukono South across all disciplines, for both men and women”, Maseruka said.
Both leaders said their shared vision is to use sports as a tool for social development, youth engagement and long term talent growth, starting from the grassroots.
