Social Media Offers Young Voices a Platform During Uganda Election
<p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="already">already</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="dubbed">dubbed</span> <span word="Uganda">Uganda</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="social">social</span> <span word="media">media</span> <span word="election">election</span>.</p><p><span word="Many">Many</span> <span word="people">people</span>, <span word="young">young</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="old">old</span>, <span word="have">have</span> <span word="taken">taken</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Twitter">Twitter</span>, <span word="Facebook">Facebook</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="WhatsApp">WhatsApp</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="give">give</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="opinions">opinions</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="campaigns">campaigns</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="candidates">candidates</span> <span word="running">running</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="office">office</span>. <span word="Various">Various</span> <span word="hashtags">hashtags</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="trending">trending</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="significant">significant</span> <span word="are">are</span> #<span word="Ugandadecides">Ugandadecides</span> <span word="and">and</span> #<span word="UGDebate">UGDebate</span>16.</p><p><span word="Daniel">Daniel</span> <span word="Mumbere">Mumbere</span>, <span word="an">an</span> <span word="avid">avid</span> <span word="social">social</span> <span word="media">media</span> <span word="user">user</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="presenter">presenter</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="TV">TV</span> <span word="show">show</span> <span word="Hashtag">Hashtag</span>, <span word="has">has</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="happy">happy</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="Ugandans">Ugandans</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="engaging">engaging</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="politicians">politicians</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="social">social</span> <span word="media">media</span>.</p><p>"<span word="I">I</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="loved">loved</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="actually">actually</span> <span word="preempt">preempt</span> [<span word="the">the</span> <span word="politicians">politicians</span>],” <span word="Mumbere">Mumbere</span> <span word="said">said</span>. “<span word="We">We</span>'<span word="d">d</span> <span word="say">say</span>: '<span word="Let">Let</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="talk">talk</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="hospitals">hospitals</span> <span word="today">today</span>' <span word="and">and</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="respond">respond</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="around">around</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="think">think</span>, <span word="ultimately">ultimately</span>, <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="start">start</span>."</p><p><span word="So">So</span> <span word="good">good</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="fact">fact</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="candidate">candidate</span> — <span word="Amama">Amama</span> <span word="Mbabzi">Mbabzi</span> — <span word="even">even</span> <span word="announced">announced</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="presidential">presidential</span> <span word="bid">bid</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Youtube">Youtube</span>.</p><p>‘<span word="Pace">Pace</span>, <span word="space">space</span>’</p><p><span word="And">And</span> <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="wonder">wonder</span>, <span word="according">according</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="media">media</span> <span word="trend">trend</span> <span word="watcher">watcher</span> <span word="Angelo">Angelo</span> <span word="Izama">Izama</span>, <span word="who">who</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="traditional">traditional</span> <span word="media">media</span> <span word="doesn">doesn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="offer">offer</span> <span word="enough">enough</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="young">young</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="interested">interested</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="elections">elections</span>.</p><p>"<span word="Traditional">Traditional</span> <span word="media">media</span> <span word="doesn">doesn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pace">pace</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="space">space</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="accommodate">accommodate</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="arguments">arguments</span>,” <span word="Izama">Izama</span> <span word="said">said</span>. “<span word="Most">Most</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="voters">voters</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="born">born</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="era">era</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mobile">mobile</span> <span word="age">age</span>. <span word="So">So</span> <span word="there">there</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="generational">generational</span> <span word="conversation">conversation</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="done">done</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="technology">technology</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mobile">mobile</span> <span word="phone">phone</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="default">default</span> [<span word="device">device</span>] <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="generation">generation</span>."</p><p><span word="Smartphones">Smartphones</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="social">social</span> <span word="media">media</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="monitor">monitor</span> <span word="polling">polling</span> <span word="stations">stations</span>. <span word="However">However</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Electoral">Electoral</span> <span word="Commission">Commission</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="already">already</span> <span word="banned">banned</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="use">use</span>.</p>
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