Kanyike’s journey to Deputy Lord Mayor job

Sarah Kanyike maintains straight eye contact as she takes me through her life journey that stretches to 1972.
She speaks with measured composure, a gesture that invites me into the interview asking both hard and cheeky questions.
Born 53 years ago, Ms Kanyike is a teacher by profession, whose emphasis on Islamic dressing defines much of her style that is further accentuated by a relative degree of humility and a sharp ear for detail.
The mother of six, two of whom are adopted, was born in Kibuli, Kampala to the late Yusuf Kanyike and Hasifah Nabwami. At two years, she lost her father and only knew her mother.

“I am the last born in a family of six and I am the only one who never saw our father,” she says, making illustrative gestures as if to emphasise the fatherly love she missed.
Ms Kanyike attended Kibuli Demonstration School, before moving to Kibuli Secondary School. The two schools are separated by a chain link fence.
While at Kibuli Secondary School, Ms Kanyike excelled at sports and made a good impression as a sports prefect helping the school win a number of trophies in netball and volleyball.
“The head teacher then [Abbas Kawaase Mukasa], who I respect so much, balanced books and sports. This gave me an opportunity to explore my talent as well as excel in class,” she says as she reminisces the good old days at Kibuli Secondary School, where she returned to teach for 15 years (Islam and History) after graduating from Makerere University with a Bachelor’s degree in Education.

“It was a happy moment to return to my former school. I was humbled that I was now interacting with people who had been my teachers,” she says, noting that she rose through the ranks to become the school’s deputy head teacher before quitting to join elective politics.
In 1998 Ms Kanyike successfully contested the Makindye East Woman councillor seat that she went on to represent up to 2006 and served as deputy speaker of KCC during Mayor John Ssebana Kizito reign.
Ssebana, who was the Kampala City Council Mayor then, she says, “is one of my mentors in politics. I look up to him”.
In 2006, Ms Kanyike stood for the Makindye East MP seat but lost to Michael Mabikke, before losing again to John Simbwa in 2011.

Return into elective politics
She returned in 2016 to contest for the Makindye East Female councillor seat, which she won. She was later appointed by Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago as Deputy Lord Mayor.
“I twice lost in the MP race but I am grateful that I am a councillor. My position [Deputy Lord Mayor] helps me to oversee the whole of Kampala, which to me is a big achievement and helps me to interact with a number of people,” she says. Ms Kanyike attributes her success to staying humble even amid challenges and the ability to execute duties to the satisfaction of her bosses.
However, this has not been without challenges as she feels agitated by the continuos friction over management at Kampala Capital City Authority.
The clashes between the political wing, which she is part of and the technical wing, she says, have been a setback with no solution in sight.
We all [political and technical wing] must understand the KCCA Act that stipulates the role of everybody at City Hall [headquarters of KCCA],” she says.

Family and marriage
Ms Kanyike is married to Mustapha Sebaggala Kigozi, formerly the executive director of Uganda Manufacturers Association.
Balancing politics and marriage, she says, has not been easy even with the backing and support of her husband.
“It’s not been easy but I have a target to improve the level of education and health of people. I also want to see an improvement in infrastructure because our people deserve better,” she says.
Ms Kanyike hopes to be in politics long enough and expects to stand in 2021, although she is reluctant to reveal which position she will be targeting.

Appointed deputy lord mayor
On June 16 last year, Kanyike was appointed Deputy Lord Mayor with the backing of an opposition leaning Kampala Capital City Authority council.
The decision, Lukwago said then, had been informed by a number of factors such as the expanse administrative experience, particularly at City Hall as Deputy Speaker of the defunct Kampala City Council, among others.
Ms Kanyike, peers say, was the most fitting person for the position of Deputy Lord Mayor as she would offer the voice of reason at the ever conflict prone Kampala Capital City Authority.
Indeed, she has been a key player in the administration of the opposition led KCCA council that continues to face challenges, especially the conflict between KCCA Minister Betty Kamya and Erias Lukwago.

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