Sezi Mbaguta demystified girls’ education, fought for the elderly

While she had been weak, Prisca Mbaguta Sezi on Monday, January 9, 2023 had visited church, talked to family members and ate to her fill. She fell asleep but never woke up.

Little known before becoming a minister in 2006, Mbaguta, a former Minister of state for Public Service had several breakthroughs to get to the ministerial position. The politician, emerged to be among the best Members of Parliament after winning the Rukungiri Woman MP seat in 2011.

Champion

Born in 1946, a few months before her parents migrated from Kabale to Rujumbura, Sezi Mbaguta would later challenge the ‘girls in the kitchen tradition’.

“Prisca was one of the few women education champions among migrant Bakiga, who became successful. She valued education so much that she struggled to get all her siblings and their children to school. Back in the day, it was almost by luck for a women to go to university those days it was never heard of,” Timothy Temiteho, her uncle says.

In Murambo Village, Bugangari Sub-county in Rujumbura, Sezi is said to have been the first female to graduate with a bachelor’s degree and serve in a Kampala-based office.

Mbaguta is referenced in many books including those by legendary historian and cultural scholar Omugurusi Festo Karwemera as a girl who demystified education among female Bakiga migrants.

Enthusiastic

Liber Mbaguta, her nephew, said his aunt had been in good health and high spirits despite her history of various chronic infections.

“Her value in the family is unmatched. She was enthusiastic about education which she believed was a source of everything. She believed in girls’ education and her take was that if a girl is not educated she will never add value to a man and a man will never value her. She had so much faith that she would move mountains,” said the nephew.

Mbaguta was married to Dr Charles Sezi a celebrated consultant physician and a malariologist. Together they had seven children Maria, Paul, Angelah, Peter, Joseph, Caroline, Ika and Charles. Dr Sezi died in October 2020 due to Covid-19 related infections.

Former Rubabo MP Mary Paula Turyahikayo who was a friend and colleague, remembers her as an assertive woman whose expertise delivered miracles.

“One thing, she (Prisca) was very assertive, hardworking and lobbyist for Rukungiri development. She was passionate about education, lobbied for structures for secondary and primary schools. I admired her expertise and professionalism as a human resource manager and administrator which made her one of the best legislators in her era,” Turyahikayo said.

“She was a mentor, counsellor and expert policy maker. She loved her faith and served God as a devotee to Virgin Mary. Prisca contributed much to Christ the King Parish and Kabale Diocese. Even when she was sick she endeavoured to attend church and never missed standing up to make a point about women. She was passionate about women from the youngest to old age,” she added.

Committed

She retired in 2005 as commissioner in-charge of human resources at the Ministry of Public Service where she had served for more than 15 years. Prior to the appointment, she served at Public Service Commission, Public Service Review commission, among other portfolios.

 “While she was our sister, she was always on duty and planning. She loved our parents so much that when they passed on, she did not frequently visit their home and lost interest in politics,” her  young brother Bonny Mbaguta remarked.

Bonny noted that as the eldest of the 12 siblings, she paid their school fees and that of their children, secured them jobs and promoted their family name.

In recognition of her contribution in 2008, Rukungiri District leadership named a 13-kilometre road that passes via her home and a section from Nyabikuku in Nyakagyeme Sub-county to Nyakariro in Bugangari Sub-county, Mbaguta Road.

Bad politics

Two years later, she contested for Rukungiri Woman MP seat becoming the first migrant leader in Rukungiri District. Her contest and final win caused divisions among migrant Bakiga and indigenous Bahororo also reigniting religious sectarian politics between the Anglicans and Roman Catholic Christians in the district. She served one term. 

Turyahikayo recalls how they divided Rukungiri District between themselves for development.

“When she came to Parliament, we identified two basic challenges, electricity and education. We decided that she takes up education and other public concerns while, I took up electricity even when it was not in my constituency and Jim (Gen Muhwezi) took up roads, and the rest we faced together,” she noted.

“Sezi-Mbaguta liked development for her people and worked so hard that we could achieve many things as a team. She served as a politician and a civil servant and she loved her country so much. She valued women so much and worked to promote equality,” the Minister  of Security and Rujumbura MP Gen Jim Muhwezi said.

Losing the seat

In 2016, Gen Muhwezi and Mbaguta were defeated in the parliamentary elections by FDC candidates. Also, they were both dropped from ministerial positions, with President Museveni citing sectarian divisions created by the two. She returned as an independent candidate in the 2017 Woman MP by-election but lost to Betty Muzanira.

Developmental

Rukungiri District Chairman Geoffrey Kyomukama described the late Mbaguta as a great lobbyist who cherished development and valued education.

When she became minister, Mbaguta organised the women she attended primary and secondary school with  but never made it to success elsewhere and started community-based organisations from village level for those elderly women called Bamukaka Development Foundation.

There, she passed aid to the elders in terms of welfare and school fees for their grandchildren. Under the association, she identified needy girls and those with disability.

“She is the only politician to ever find value in elderly women, no one had ever thought of having us at the forefront of politics. I do not think there shall ever be an MP like her who knows women and what they need, especially the elderly. We always prayed for her,  she became a sort of minister for elderly. We shall miss her,” Eleanor Ruranga, one of the Bamukaka members said.

Mbaguta was laid to rest at her  home in Nsasa-Kira in Wakiso District on Friday, January 15. Her legacy is her advocacy for bettering women’s lives and how she inspired others.

Quick notes

Born in Kabale district, her parents John and Sabina Mbaguta migrated to Murambo Village, Kashayo parish Bugangari Sub county Rujumbura in Rukungiri District in 1946.

Mbaguta went to Kazindiro Primary School for her early education before enrolling to Nyakibale Primary and then becoming one of the pioneers of the Immaculate Heart Girl’s School Nyakibale in Rukungiri District. She graduated with a Bachelor  of Public Administration at Makerere University in 1975. After her education she was  employed at the Ministry of Works as a human resource officer. She later went on to serve at other different ministries and projects.