Women who drove the Kyadondo East by-election

Barbara Itungo Kyagulanyi
She has lived in the public eye ever since the early 2000s. As her husband charted his musical career, she was never far off the scene. While he sang, she managed the businesses, including taking up gate collections at One Love Beach. But, she went beyond what one would expect of a musician’s wife. Barbie is a columnist with one of the local newspapers, Matooke Republic, dishing out advice to young mothers.

And as a mother of four, her children are her pride. Unlike other celebrity wives who keep their children out of the public sphere, Barbie always posts updates about their life on Facebook.

So, it came as no surprise when at the beginning of her husband’s campaigns, pictures of her children, wearing campaign T-shirts of their father, trended on social media. Not one to shy away from her husband’s pursuits, she followed him right into the thick of the campaign, matching his vigour.

For the first time, we saw a Barbie who was as much at home in a gomesi as she was in a hijab. Everywhere you looked in the constituency, she was there, canvasing for votes from door-to-door.

Like a seasoned politician who has mastered the game, she took up the microphone and made impassioned pleas to the mammoth crowds at her husband’s rallies, kneeling as she asked them for their support. At other times, she danced on the stage as a host of musicians entertained the crowd.

The only downside was when her husband was scheduled to have a rally at Wampewo playground. Barbie turned up in a short light brown dress sitting atop a Prado with her husband. However, a few minutes later, she covered her legs with a blue wrapper.

The look of fear on her face when she arrived at Kira Divisional Police on the day her husband was arrested was a gem. As a wife to an outspoken politician, she will have to steel herself to these kinds of arrests.
Shamim Namawa
This by-election revealed to us this beautiful woman. A former dancer with Maisha Dance Group, Namawa had evolved into a musician, joining the rank and file of artistes struggling in their music careers. Some of her songs include Muliro Accelerator, Kasikonda, One Chance, Ekyaama, Tukwatagane, and Breaker Breaker.

Known as Uganda’s version of Nicki Minaj, Namawa was famous for her skimpy outfits that left nothing to the imagination. Then, she went silent, until she resurfaced at Kantiti’s rallies, wearing gomesis. She did not seem to be comfortable in those gomesis, though.

On the trail, Namawa knelt down to beg for votes. Since she was used to entertaining crowds, the campaign trail was a walkover for her, and she was in her element, engaging voters for one-on-one conversations.

Her electric smile thrilled the crowds and threw them to the fantasy world as they hurled insinuations of the bad girl Namawa had been. She managed the candidate’s finances alongside her husband’s personal assistant Zaridah Kakayi.

Ms Joan Nantumbwe
During the campaigns, it was revealed that candidate Sitenda Sebalu has more love for his first wife Nantumbwe. She was at most of his campaign rallies. She is a woman of faith and it would seem that although she was shy on the campaign trail, she supported her husband spiritually. The fashion designer is an ardent follower of Pastor Aloysius Bugingo. More often than not, Sebalu leaned on her for prayer.

The only time she spoke to the crowds was at one of her husband’s rallies at Wampeewo playground. It was on the day Namutebi Sofia, aka Mama Fiina, dished money to NRM supporters.
Beyond that, the former warden of Mulago View Hostel largely shunned the limelight and was not outgoing, in terms of projecting her voice to be heard.