A 16-year-old Ugandan media entrepreneur and youth advocate has petitioned Parliament to establish measures to protect learners whose education is disrupted by floods, landslides and other climate-related disasters.
Nyanzi Martin Luther, popularly known as Blockboy, submitted the petition alongside fellow youth advocate Amanyire Nicholas to the Clerk to Parliament on August 31.
In the petition, the two propose the Youth Climate Education Insurance (Supplementary) Act, 2026, which seeks to establish a mechanism to provide temporary support to learners whose education is interrupted by verified climate-related disasters.
The petitioners argue that the effects of floods and landslides often persist long after an emergency has ended, particularly when families lose homes, crops, businesses and other sources of income.
They say such losses force affected families to prioritise basic needs such as food, shelter and rebuilding, making it difficult to meet education-related costs.
“This can result in prolonged absenteeism or permanent school dropout,” the petition states.
Under the proposed mechanism, affected learners would receive temporary support to enable them to remain in school as their families recover from the impact of disasters.
The petitioners say the proposed mechanism would complement existing disaster-response and relief programmes rather than replace them.
They have asked Parliament to receive the proposal and refer it to the relevant committee or committees for consideration in accordance with parliamentary procedures.
The proposal has not been adopted by Parliament and does not constitute law.
Nyanzi’s second parliamentary petition
The latest petition is Nyanzi’s second attempt to use Parliament to advance a policy proposal.
In February, he petitioned Parliament over the financing of non-governmental and community-based organisations, proposing legislation to establish a framework for increased government support to local organisations.
The proposal came amid concerns over the financial sustainability of local civil society organisations and their reliance on external funding.
It was followed by a broader government debate on foreign funding, foreign influence and national sovereignty.
However, Nyanzi’s earlier proposal and subsequent government legislation were separate initiatives, and his petition should not be presented as the source of the legislation.
His latest petition shifts the focus to the impact of climate-related disasters on children’s education.
Who is Nyanzi?
Nyanzi is a Ugandan media entrepreneur and youth advocate who has been involved in media, digital promotion and music distribution while pursuing secondary education.
He founded Apex Media Services, which was later rebranded as Block Media Services Ltd.
He recently stepped down from his leadership position at the company to concentrate on his education.
His parliamentary interventions have added a civic dimension to his work in media and entrepreneurship, with his proposals focusing on issues affecting young people and local communities.
Amanyire, who joined him on the latest petition, is identified in the submission as a youth advocate from Kasese District and host of the Kids Talk Show on Fort TV.
The latest proposal now awaits consideration through Parliament’s established processes.
