By Ben Ssebuguzi
With less than 24 months left to the next elections, some magnanimous leaders like Hon. Kahamba Sam Kuteesa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Uganda, has already confessed he will not stand again as a member of parliament for Mawogola North hence attracting new contenders like his daughter, Shatisi Musherace among others.
Hon. Kuteesa is one of the long serving members of parliament, since 1995 during the promulgation of the constitution, he has been representing the people of Mawogola and he is the king maker of sorts in the whole of Sembabule District.
For starters, Sembabule District was curved off the greater Masaka District in 1997 and it is boarded by the districts of Masaka, Gomba, Rakai and Mbarara in the central Uganda. Besides being a cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament, Hon. Kuteesa also shared international scene as s former president of the 69th session of the UN, a docket that is not easy to get.
Sembabule is not new to tenterhooks brought about by people who think that Hon. Kuteesa is using his financial and political power to subrage them. Ms. Joy Kabatsi’s camp wish Hon. Sekikubo have been at all times at logger heads with Hon. Sam Kuteesa’s camp which also includes Hon. Anifa Kawooya. Surprisingly, of which all of them subscribe to the ruling and dominant party, NRM.
They have often tried to line what President of Uganda H.E. Yoweri Museveni into their fights and to their disappointment the President has always remained clear without taking sides leaving the ball in the hands of the voters to decide. Some of us who have lived in the district with relatives, we have something we want to remember Hon. Kuteesa about. He has managed to market the district to stand out among the 136 districts as one of the districts with fierce competition when it comes to democracy as warring parties tussle it out through the ballots and courts of laws and hence leading to efficiency in service delivery as there is no impunity among leaders.
Hon. Sam Kuteesa has aided the district status as many primary scholars have been constructed like the construction of the ultra-modern school by chiress of Kawada. About four years ago, the roads where in bad shape, but Hon Kuteesa used his lobbying skills to construct the districts connecting Mpigi, Gomba, Sembabule and Masaka. If you happen to go to Mijwaala, Lwebitakuli, Mateete, Mbirizia and Ntuusi, all the marrum roads are passable hence making the transportation of cows and crops to markets easily and cheaply.
Sembabule has Mbabale FM which serves the district and neighboring areas in terms of communication plus also aiding the formation of SACCOs like Sembabule Women SACCOs which has greatly helped many farmers acquire cheap loans with the fore mentioned achievements, Hon. Kuteesa will leave the podium when the district is still grappling with the problem of clean water. Many families draw their water from animal’s ponds hence putting people’s lives in the district at risk of infections.
The Hon. Minister has also not helped the district to harness the district tourism potential given the fact that there is Bigobyamugenyi a historical site for the Chwezi. The billion questions right now is that will his daughter Shatsi Musherune serve to the expectation of voters. Because a section of the voters despise have capability alleging that she is not informed about the challenges of the constituency and district at large.
Ssebuguzi is the Secretary General of the Uganda Poor Youth Movement
