KAMPALA, Uganda — A 16-year-old Ugandan youth advocate has asked Parliament to consider a new mechanism aimed at preventing floods and other climate-related disasters from pushing children out of school.
Nyanzi Martin Luther, better known as Blockboy, and fellow youth advocate Amanyire Nicholas submitted their petition to the Clerk to Parliament on August 31, proposing the Youth Climate Education Insurance (Supplementary) Act, 2026.
According to the petition reviewed by this publication, the proposed legislation would create a form of temporary education protection for learners whose schooling is interrupted by verified climate-related disasters.
The petitioners say the consequences of flooding and landslides do not end when the water recedes or displaced families return home.
For households that lose homes, crops, businesses or other sources of income, the cost of keeping children in school can become another pressure at a time when families are struggling to recover.
That, they argue, can leave children absent from school for extended periods or increase their chances of dropping out altogether.
The proposal therefore seeks to make education part of disaster recovery planning.
Under the proposed framework, learners affected by qualifying disasters would receive temporary assistance to help them remain in education while their families recover.
The petition says the proposed mechanism would work alongside existing disaster-response and relief programmes rather than replace them.
The two advocates have asked Parliament to formally receive the proposal and refer it to the appropriate committee or committees for scrutiny.
A policy proposal, not yet law
The submission is not an enacted law and does not mean Parliament has adopted the proposed insurance mechanism.
It must first go through the relevant parliamentary processes, where its legal, financial and administrative implications can be examined.
The petition comes against the backdrop of recurring floods and landslides that have affected communities across Uganda, disrupting livelihoods and access to essential services.
For children living in affected communities, disruption can extend beyond damaged classrooms.
Roads may become impassable, families may be displaced and household incomes may be diverted towards food, shelter and reconstruction.
The petitioners argue that such circumstances can make education one of the casualties of a disaster even when schools themselves have not been destroyed.
Their proposal seeks to close that gap by providing a specific education component within disaster recovery.
From media to youth policy
Blockboy, whose real name is Nyanzi Martin Luther, is a Ugandan media entrepreneur and youth advocate who has been involved in digital promotion, music distribution and media initiatives while pursuing secondary education.
He founded Apex Media Services, which was later rebranded as Block Media Services Ltd.
He stepped down from his leadership position at the company in August, citing the need to concentrate on his education.
The parliamentary petition represents a move from his work in media and entertainment into formal policy advocacy.
Amanyire, who is identified in the submission as a youth advocate from Kasese District and host of the Kids Talk Show on Fort TV, joined him in advancing the proposal.
Their submission now places the question before Parliament: whether Uganda’s disaster-response system should do more to ensure that children affected by climate emergencies can remain in school while their families rebuild.
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