Arua City Youth Council has passed a resolution to disband the management of the multi-million one-stop youth center. The youth leaders accuse the management of failing to account for the funds generated by the center and mismanaging the center that was supposed to benefit youths.
Over the years, the center has been under the management of former Arua Municipality Youth Council leaders. During their first-ever youth council sitting held on Saturday, the youth leaders agreed to take over the management, which they say is the only viable option to save the facility that has been lying idle for years.
Favourate Edeti, the Arua City Youth Council Chairperson, said their priority as youth leaders in the city is working towards taking full ownership and management of the facility. He says the activities being carried out at the facility defeat the purpose for which it was constructed.
Simon Enatu, the male youth councillor to Arua city council welcomed the move, saying the center has been lying idle for a very long time.
The Shillings 80 million center was built in 2014 with support from the UN-Habitat to provide youth and children with information and services on reproductive health, sports and culture. However, some rooms were rented out to private firms.
The center also lacks running water, electricity, computers and staff to manage it. Judith Drate, the Principal Community Development Officer at Arua City Council, says that the absence of a governing council has made it difficult to solicit funds from donors to run the facility.
Geoffrey Edema, the senior community development officer of Arua city has challenged the youths to be united if they are to properly manage the centre.
During the third council sitting of the first session of the first Arua city council meeting held in August 2021, the council passed a resolution to place the management of the one-stop youth center, which hasn’t happened.
