Isaac Kawonawo ambition in the political arena won him an award allowing him to visit China annually, writes Robert Muhereza. Isaac Kawonawo, 29, resident of Kigongi Cell in Kabale Municipality is one of Uganda's lucky youth leaders who recently won the Chinese award visiting China annually at the expense of the Chinese government.

He won the award after presenting a paper on the social economic and political status of Uganda and how the ruling NRM party has helped citizens fight poverty in their communities. "I won this award because of my love for the NRM government. We were four youth leaders from Uganda who visited China but I emerged best in field participation," Kawonawo says.

I will use this award to explore business opportunities, especially opening a Chinese car depot in Kabale to serve neighbouring districts, Rwanda and the DRC." Kawonawo was not into politics until 1996 when he was elected a Uganda National Students Association delegate for Kabale.

In 2001, he joined Kabale youth elections and was elected the district's youth treasurer, a position he still holds. In 2006, Kawonawo was appointed national treasurer for the NRM party youth league. He says his visit to China was a follow up of numerous exchange visits between the Communist Party of China led by Hu Jintao and Uganda's NRM party leader, President Yoweri Museveni.

He says during the visit, they were taken around different manufacturing factories in the Chinese capital of Beijing where they also learnt that traffic jam is controlled by construction of metallic storied roads. "We were told that China starts grooming leaders for its Communist ideologies at the age 14 without segregation unlike in Uganda where cadre identification and placement is uncommon," Kawonawo says, adding that China has implemented a policy on zero tolerance for corruption which has worked.

Eating Chinese food, he says, was a big challenge as he had to feed on rice and chicken for the three weeks. "I liked their soft drink that cures malaria and the way the Chinese government prioritised physical fitness," he adds.