Uganda: Teenage Girl Becomes Africa's Youngest MP

Proscovia Alengot Oromait has become Africa's youngest Member of Paliament (MP) at the age of 19, after she won the Usuk county election with 11,059 votes. The outspoken youngster replaces her father who died earlier this year.

Alengot is a member of National Resistance Movement, headed by President Yoweri Museveni. Other people who stood for the post included, Charles Ojok Oleny with 5,329 votes, Charles Okure from FDC with 2,725 votes and Cecilia Anyakoit of UPC with 554 votes.

Honourable Alengot Oromait. Photo used with permission of monitor.co.ug.

Honourable Alengot Oromait. Photo used with permission of monitor.co.ug.

Many people have come out to congratulate her, whilst some are saying she will not survive her term in parliament because of her age and limited experience. Some people believe this is the beginning of change in Africa and its time to get rid of the overly old leaders and allow young people to take the continent forward.

Hon. Alengot's area faces challenges of clean water, electricity and poor roads among others. For now the people of Usuk have their hopes pinned on the 19 year-old MP. Hopefully, she will be in position to represent her area and develop it.

Google map of Alengo's constituency:

View Larger Map

Some citizen media comments are sampled below:

Solar Sister‏ believes its the young women that are the pillar of change now:

Young women powering change! 19 year old Proscovia Alengot Oromait elected to Uganda Parliament. http://fb.me/28DoJ2IUr 

Joy Doreen Biira requests someone to teach Ms Alomait the basics she needs to learn as an MP:

@JoyDoreenBiira: Alengot Oromait, 19 years old is now a MP in Uganda…. Very Good. But can someone “home-school” her on the basics she needs to know else…

Commenting on New Vision website, Agambagye Frank thinks its good that she was elected and believes this is how democracy should be:

thats why democracy is good pple voted her

lakodo urges Hon Aromait not to leave her boyfriend, now that she has got more money and has a lot of opportunities to get a rich boyfriend:

Hon Prossy , plse dont forget ur little 19 yr old boy friend who used to buy for u chapatis, he kind of also helped u in a way, and remember to take haert not to be scared of some MPs like Moses Ali who snores like the whole roof of parliament is coming down.

Commenting on a story on the Monitor website, nkuutu urges advises the MP to concentrate on her studies, as the MP seat can be lost at anytime and she may have to look for a job:

I just have one piece of advice for the hon MP: Don't worry, be happy. This might be the only time in your life to shine! Come next elections ….who knows. Don't forget your day job …I mean your studies. No one will give you a job with a CV with “ex-MP but no qualification”. Anyone can be an MP, but not everyone is educated.
Congrats!!

ProWoman thinks people are treating Ms Alengot like a baby. She goes on to tell them to let her think for herself because she is an adult:

 Proscovia does not need too much advice. You guys are treating her like a baby. At 19 she's an adult. Schooling began at home. Why is every man trying to be a parent to her? Leave this young woman alone to think critically for herself. It seems that there are too many cooks around. Proscovia actually has the figure of Michelle Obama. Tall, athletic, beautiful and confident. Michelle the first Black US first lady did not need too much advice on how to be a first Black first lady in the White House. Congratulations to Proscovia!

Proscovia Alengot was sworn in on Thursday 20, September, 2012. She is the youngest and first female teenage Member of Parliament in Africa.

15 comments

  • Mutakirwa Nelson

    She will I know.if others can,why not her.

  • Mutakirwa Nelson

    Don’t mind sister.you will rule them.

  • Andrew

    Older people have something important that young people don’t: wisdom and experience.

  • Nada A

    If she’s just replacing her father, what kind of change can that be?

  • […] 5,329 votes, Charles Okure from FDC with 2,725 votes and Cecilia Anyakoit of UPC with 554 votes. Read full story here Tags: uganda, youngest female […]

  • […] Read full story here Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this. […]

  • […] change that is marking a precedent for the African continent and the world at large! As reported by Global Voices Online , Miss Proscovia Alengot Oromait is the youngest member of Parliament at the ripe age of 19 years […]

  • solomon mbogani

    “The best leader is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do
    what he wants done, and the self-restraint to keep from meddling with
    them while they do it.” -Theodore Roosevelt

  • solomon mbogani

    Hon. Proscovia Alengot Oromait

    Age
    is nothing but a number, take it from me you have set a landmark in the
    history of the continent. Reaching at the top is no big deal, but remaining at the top requires perseverance, performance, big heart and resilience.

    Some
    may doubt your performance potentials due to age, face, education or
    sexuality orientation but that should never deter you from setting
    specific, measurable, and realistic and time bound decisions. In case
    you do not have leaderships training. Please you must enroll for a
    leadership course in any university as it will awaken you, give you
    courage to face mountains and crash thru, you will easily articulate
    your people issues professionalism confidence, with modern leadership
    techniques that will promote your kind of generation to achieve the
    required standards, there is no compromise, you have to undertake the
    training at all cost.

    Look
    at your people first, especially those you represent, understand their
    common their desires, problems and expected feature challenges, then get
    the common denominators, categories the denominators into sets of very
    agent, agent, and general bearing in mind that there are never
    denominators that are less important as all are important. Always
    involve the people in the whole process of views collection taking into
    considerations that you are not their boss, but a servant. (In case an
    impromptu need occurs deal with it immediately to maintain designed
    programs intact).

    Promote
    peoples power, by letting people discuss their destiny, either from
    village or divisional level, create credible local leadership amongst
    the cluster groups, these should be the co-dominators (not bosses) of
    all the project, but remain the overseer of all that is going on, after
    all you’re accountable as the leader. More are times you seek
    independent professional both private and government appointed ones in
    all undertakings, but be cautious of scavengers and persons with greedy
    vested interest .Remember to be very firm on coordinators never
    compromise peoples developments, in most leadership middle persons are
    the ones who fail the leaders.

    Travel
    widely as you take notes of all visits, in Kenya the first visit should
    be Gatanga constituency of Muranga county and Vihiga get to carry all
    the good deed home bearing in mind if their can do it you can innovate
    it better.
    Never
    despise anyone, love all and just listen to them, at times a listen
    satisfy more than a deed. Remember listening is more of wisdom than
    talking.

    Motivate
    the young ones into success and if possible more professional lines.
    Uphold and promote mandatory education for every child motivate the
    highest number to reach university bearing in mind that as I quote
    “development of an area highly depends on the education level of its
    people and how they utilize the acquired academically knowledge in their
    day to day life. Low education mainly poor of life higher education a
    better life.”

    To
    maintain dignity and decency in the society, your character must be
    high morally. Try as much as you can to keep privacy totally private.
    You are a role model to many young ones uphold your dignity always. Have
    mature friends but never let them use you or take advantage of your
    innocence and youth.

    Africa
    independence pioneer leaders where more of your age let no one without
    Africa’s history discourage or disparage you at all. Africa is poor due
    to greedy ignorant governorship, Africa is richer than United States of
    America but foolish leadership has made it poor, please be a strategic
    professional leader.
    38 minutes ago · Like

  • […] Several countries are omitted and not a single Francophone or Lusophone politician appears on the list. And where are the women? Africa's female politicians are on the rise. Currently, Malawi and Liberia have female presidents while a Ugandan female teenager recently became Africa's youngest Member of Parliament. […]

Join the conversation

Authors, please log in »

Guidelines

  • All comments are reviewed by a moderator. Do not submit your comment more than once or it may be identified as spam.
  • Please treat others with respect. Comments containing hate speech, obscenity, and personal attacks will not be approved.