Kasese’s Angella and Jolly to rally women into leadership

This calendar year marks the beginning of the journey to the 2026 General Elections. Indeed, all those with ambitions to be candidates in the 2026 elections are making initial contacts in their respective constituencies.

In Kiburara, I have been honoured by visits from several aspirants seeking my support. They share their ambitions for electoral offices. I do the listening. 

It makes me happy to see young people expressing interest in the leadership of their country at whatever level of leadership.

Mr Edwin Kugonza Bayiringa told me he will contest for the Bukonzo East parliamentary seat. And David Bwambale, a Kampala based lawyer, wants to take Busongora South parliamentary seat. David Bwambale visited with his mother. 

I always insist that David calls me uncle. Ms Helena Bwambale (David’s mother) and my sister Mwajuma Asuman were ‘the ladies’ of Kabirizi.

Both Benazir Kifalo (Mwajuma’s hubby) and Christopher Bwambale (David’s late father) were the scions of the cattle rearing lower lands of Busongra South. In addition to David and Edwin, two ladies visited.

One was Angella Birungi and the other Jolly Kateeba. They too wanted to share their new political ambitions. I am always a good listener to people who claim to purvey ideas.

Ms Angella and Ms Jolly have a vision where women contest in all electoral positions. “We are spearheading a movement where we mobilise women into leadership. Our objective is to make sure every available electoral office will have a female contestant,” Angella told me.

“Wow! I like it,” I exclaimed. I challenged them to take the lead and offer their candidatures to positions. The joke was on me. Ms Jolly Masika Kateeba is the deputy speaker of the Kasese District Council and Ms Angella Birungi is the chairperson of District Women Council for Kasese. And then?

Jolly Kateeba wants to run for mayor of Kasese Municipality and Angella Birungi wants to stand for MP of Kasese Municipality. Jolly Kateeba: “Our respective candidatures are supposed to inspire other women to contest in all constituencies (whether affirmative or not)”.

Ms Norah Ithungu Matsande was an aspiring candidate for District Woman MP for Kasese in the 2021 elections. She lost in NRM Primaries.

But now she intends to contest against FDC’s Godfrey Katusabe in Bukonzo West. And yes, she is likely to face off with Dr Crispus Kiyonga and Godfrey Kabbyanga (junior Cabinet minister for ICT) in the NRM Primaries.

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As a political observer, the idea of rallying women into political leadership excited me. As a political idealist, I would like to dovetail it into the thematic prospects of the International Women’s Day. Indeed, what else can be done for women emancipation in future?

The holding onto (and consolidation of) the tokenism that was birthed by the affirmative policy actions on the late 80s and 90s is not enough?

With holding ground and consolidation, there is always the fear of regression. Kasese’s Angella, Jolly and Norah offer the political leadership (and political idealists) of the women movement some food for thought: let us attack. The Kasese girls are saying: Let us use what we got from the affirmative policy actions to move forward.

In Uganda, the first deliberate effort to put women in positions of political leadership can be traced to the creation of a special seat on Resistance Council of the then rebel National Resistance Movement.

Later (when NRM captured state power), the NRM created a ministry responsible for women-related issues called ‘Ministry of Women in Development’. In future, we may have a ministry called ‘Ministry of Women in Leadership’.

Please allow me take this opportunity to wish all womenfolk a happy International Women’s Day. 

Mr Asuman Bisiika is the executive editor of the East African Flagpost. [email protected]