Lenia Charity, 25 joins NRM new Central Executive Committee

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Central Executive Committee (CEC) has formally approved the appointment of Hon. Lenia Charity Kevin to the party’s highest strategic decision-making organ. At just 25 years old, the newly elected Vurra County Member of Parliament makes history as the youngest individual ever appointed to the CEC, stepping directly into a high-powered boardroom traditionally dominated by historical bush-war veterans and seasoned political heavyweights decades her senior.

When was Charity Lenia appointed to NRM CEC?

The strategic appointments were reviewed and finalized during a high-stakes CEC session chaired by NRM Party Chairman President Yoweri Museveni at State House Entebbe on Friday evening, July 3, 2026.

While the committee overwhelmingly endorsed the President’s youth-focused push by approving Lenia alongside top-tier national icons like former Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, the meeting was marked by internal friction as elected members staged a firm revolt to flatly reject the nomination of Bukono County MP Persis Namuganza due to ongoing disciplinary and party compliance issues.

Also read about Martha Karua, the first female deputy President of Kenya

Who is Lenia Charity Kevin?

Hon. Lenia Charity Kevin is a Ugandan politician, youth advocate, and legislator who serves as the directly elected Member of Parliament (MP) representing Vurra County in Arua District for the 2026–2031 term in the 12th Parliament. At just 25 years old, she stands out as the youngest sitting lawmaker in the current Parliament and the youngest member ever appointed to the National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) powerful Central Executive Committee (CEC).

Born in West Nile, Uganda, Lenia has rapidly transitioned from frontline university guild dynamics into mainstream national policymaking, gaining prominence for her work with international human rights networks and local youth empowerment platforms, including her selection as the 2024 Girl Champion at the Girl Champion Awards.

What is Charity Lenia Kevin’s educational background?

Lenia Charity Kevin completed her early primary school cycles in Uganda before joining St. Mary’s Secondary School, Namaliga, for her lower secondary education where she attained her Ordinary Level (O-Level) certificate. She later transitioned to Our Lady of Africa Secondary School in Mukono District for her advanced secondary studies, completing her Advanced Level (A-Level) examinations with excellent scores that secured her entry into higher education.

Lenia subsequently enrolled at Makerere University Business School (MUBS), a premier public institution for business and management training in Kampala. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Procurement and Supply Chain Management.

Throughout her time at university, she balanced demanding academic coursework with active public advocacy, joining global diplomatic networks such as the Refugee Women Leaders Network, Gals Forum International, and the World Liberty Congress to cultivate practical expertise in administrative leadership and human rights documentation.

How did Lenia Charity Kevin start her career in student politics?

Lenia Charity Kevin kicked off her frontline political journey on campus at Makerere University Business School (MUBS) during the 2022/2023 academic year, successfully contesting to become the university’s first female Vice Guild President. Operating as a highly visible student advocate, she specialized in student welfare campaigns, gender equity reforms, and institutional accountability projects that built her a massive, loyal student following across the Nakawa-based campus.

Driven by her growing grassroots support, Lenia decided to aim for the university’s top executive slot in 2023, officially running for the MUBS Guild Presidency under the National Unity Platform (NUP) banner. Although she ultimately lost that closely contested guild race to her opponent, Christopher Wasswa, the high-stakes campus election transformed her into one of NUP’s most visible young student leaders, bringing her face-to-face with national political party dynamics and introducing her directly to opposition party structures under NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi.

What drove Lenia Charity Kevin’s defection from NUP to the ruling NRM?

In September 2024, Lenia Charity Kevin caused a significant stir across the national political landscape and triggered widespread social media debates by officially announcing her defection from the opposition National Unity Platform to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM). The high-profile political switch raised eyebrows among youth activists because Lenia had previously been heavily photographed alongside NUP leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, and was widely tipped as a rising star within the opposition’s student wing.

Defending her strategic shift ahead of the 2026 general elections, Lenia clarified that her decision stemmed from a pragmatic desire to serve her home community of Vurra County through direct engagement with existing government implementation channels. She argued that working within established state systems, rather than operating from the peripheral margins of opposition activism, offered a faster, more effective mechanism to bring visible development, infrastructure funding, and public services to the West Nile sub-region.

How did Charity Lenia Kevin become Uganda’s youngest Member of Parliament?

Lenia Charity Kevin transformed her strategic party defection into an unprecedented electoral victory by picking up NRM primary nomination forms on June 5, 2025, to contest the Vurra County parliamentary flag. On July 17, 2025, the 24-year-old political newcomer pulled off a massive upset in the NRM primary elections, outmaneuvering seven veteran male contenders—who possessed significantly larger financial resources—by running an aggressive, village-to-village youth and women-led mobilization campaign.

Following her primary victory, Lenia went on to secure the Vurra County parliamentary seat during the national general elections on January 15, 2026. When she was officially sworn into the 12th Parliament of Uganda in May 2026 at age 24, she secured her spot as the youngest direct legislator in the house. Since entering the chambers, her legislative docket has focused heavily on expanding agricultural extension services for smallholder tobacco and cassava farmers, securing low-interest micro-credit lines for rural women’s groups, and tackling the high youth unemployment margins currently affecting the West Nile border communities.

What details emerged from the NRM CEC appointments at State House Entebbe?

According to high-level details circulating on Saturday, July 4, 2026, the NRM Central Executive Committee officially approved Hon. Lenia Charity Kevin as its newest and youngest member during a high-stakes meeting chaired by President Yoweri Museveni at State House Entebbe. The party’s top decision-making organ reviewed five names handpicked and fronted by the President to fill vacant slots, ultimately approving four nominees to join the powerful strategic planning body that sets the NRM’s long-term dynastic roadmap and ideological guidelines.

Lenia was approved alongside three long-serving, highly experienced national figures:

• Rt. Hon. Ruhakana Rugunda: Veteran diplomat and former Prime Minister who previously directed the Ministries of Health and Internal Affairs.
• Prof. Waswa Balunywa: Renowned academic, management expert, and long-serving former Principal of Makerere University Business School.
• Hon. Magode Okuya: Historical NRM ideologue, veteran politician, and veteran administrative policy advisor from Eastern Uganda.

Conversely, senior party sources revealed that elected CEC members staged a firm internal revolt to reject the nomination of Bukono County MP Persis Namuganza. The committee threw out Namuganza’s name due to lingering internal disciplinary allegations, public misconduct inquiries, and the strict party rule tracking her decision to enter the 12th Parliament as an independent candidate rather than running under the official NRM flag. The formal inclusion of Lenia alongside historical bush-war veterans injects a fresh, campus-tested youth voice into a room traditionally dominated by cadres decades her senior.

Structural Timeline of Lenia Charity Kevin’s Political Rise

To evaluate how Hon. Lenia Charity Kevin systematically climbed from university lecture halls to the highest decision-making table of the ruling party, review the operational milestone matrix outlined below:

Academic / Calendar Year	Institutional Leadership Position	Core Achievements & Strategic Milestones	Regional Electoral Impact
2022 – 2023	Vice Guild President, Makerere University Business School (MUBS).	Elected as the first female Vice Guild President in MUBS history; managed student welfare and safety dockets.	Established a powerful, cross-campus youth mobilization base in Kampala.
2023	NUP Guild Presidential Candidate (MUBS).	Handpicked to carry the official National Unity Platform flag; finished as a top contender behind Christopher Wasswa.	Elevated her profile onto the national media stage as an emerging youth opposition asset.
2024	Defection to NRM & Civil Advocacy Roles.	Switched allegiance to the NRM; served concurrently with the Refugee Women Leaders Network and World Liberty Congress.	Shifted her tactical focus toward working within state systems to secure structural funding.
2025	NRM Parliamentary Flagbearer, Vurra County.	Defeated seven well-funded male politicians during the heated NRM primary elections on July 17, 2025.	Solidified her dominance over traditional Arua district political heavyweights.
January – May 2026	Elected Member of Parliament, Vurra County.	Won the national general election; officially sworn into the 12th Parliament in May 2026 as Uganda’s youngest direct MP.	Secured direct legislative representation for West Nile youth and agricultural associations.
July 2026	Appointed Member, NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC).	Nominated by President Museveni and confirmed at State House Entebbe alongside prime veterans like Ruhakana Rugunda.	Places a 25-year-old campus-tested voice inside the party’s highest executive planning chamber.