“She has been also passionate about the projects her father had promised to initiate in the constituency, including lobbying for education and health infrastructure,” Edekep said.
As a student, Alengot demonstrated strong leadership qualities — she chaired the debate club, was the brain behind the school’s weekly news bulletin, leader of the patriotism club, passionate about the environment and participated in the Chogm debate in 2007 at Serena Hotel in Kampala.
“Yes, in anything you need people to back you up and yes, the party really did help me. My focus is to work on roads, fight cattle-rustling, elevate the education standards in the district,” she said during the interview.
Although some people welcomed her win as a positive indicator to youth politics, others doubt if she can deliver.
“Her youth has nothing to do with her election. It all boils down to sympathy votes because her father was a staunch, popular and senior person at NRM. People will be drawn to her youth more than her performance because she represents a very large majority,” political analyst Angero Izama told the BBC Africa.
Alengot can create impact like Swede Anton Abele, who was at 18 years elected to the Swedish Parliament for his activism against street violence in 2010.
Another notable teen politician was Dusseault Pierre Luc, who at the age of 19 was elected to the Canadian House of Commons last year.
