The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) chair and United Opposition spokesman Mukhisa Kituyi has stated that his formation is yet to fully connect with the Gen Zs.
Speaking during an interview with a local radio station on Thursday, November 20, the former minister said this is one of the reasons why the United Opposition has not yet fully formed itself or developed a manifesto to rally support from this generation and other groups as they prepare for 2027.
With the United Opposition being accused of lacking an agenda and a clear roadmap on what it intends to achieve should it seize power in 2027, Kituyi said it is difficult to develop a plan until they encompass the ideas of this generation, who came out on the streets demanding change and challenging the status quo.
He explained that it is hard to come up with a clear roadmap when they have not engaged these populations to understand what they want changed or what their interests are, so these can be incorporated into the manifesto, given that they constitute a significant proportion of the population.
“As it stands today, the opposition has not sufficiently linked up with Gen Zs, and you can’t tell an agenda whose main consumers are going to be Gen Zs without their participation,” Mukhisa said.
Regarding the choice of a presidential candidate, he said they have not yet settled on a single flagbearer, as there are many people who might join the formation at later stages and have the capacity to vie for the top seat.
He added that settling on one candidate at this particular moment could risk alienating other potential leaders capable of leading the formation against the president.
