A VHT member attends to a patient at the Kagada outreach that was constructed by the locals in Kamwenge District. PHOTO | FELIX AINEBYOONA
In the 25 years since Kamwenge was carved out of Kabarole District, no district chairperson has served more than a single term. This pattern sets the stage for a hotly contested 2026 election, with the incumbent, Mr Joseph Karungi of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), facing strong competition.
Mr Joseph Karungi. Photo/Courtesy
Mr Karungi, who won the 2021 election as an Independent after losing in the NRM primaries, garnered 37,881 votes against then-incumbent Mr Aggrey Natuhamnya’s 18,973. He has since rejoined the party fold and confirmed he will seek the NRM flag in the upcoming primaries.
However, Natuhamnya will not be returning to the race, paving the way for new contenders.
Mr Robert Katemburura. Photo/Courtesy
Among those vying for the position are two journalists-turned-politicians: Mr Yunisent Mubangizi, formerly of Voice of Kamwenge, and Mr Robert Katemburura, who previously worked with Edigyito Radio in Mbarara before transitioning to civil society work in the Bunyoro Sub-region’s oil and gas sector. Adding to the male-dominated race is Mr Geoffrey Byarugaba, a recently retired educationist who served as the district inspector of schools for 25 years.
NRM stronghold
While Kamwenge has been an NRM stronghold, no Opposition candidates have emerged so far to challenge for the seat following the NRM primaries. Mr Mubangizi, 35, currently serves as the district’s male youth councillor. He said his background in radio has helped him build a strong following, particularly among young people. However, he expressed dissatisfaction with the district leadership, accusing Mr Karungi of failing to effectively lobby for better services.
“We have serious issues with corruption, especially in the district service commission. People are paying over Shs10 million for jobs, and some still don’t get appointed. The chairperson appoints the commission, so he must take responsibility,” said Mr Mubangizi.
He added that, if elected, he would prioritise supporting farmers with essential inputs during planting seasons and providing timely aid during disasters. In the health sector, he promised to lobby for increased staffing, infrastructure upgrades, and well-equipped health centres.
Mr Yunisent Mubangizi. Photo/Courtesy
Mubangizi’s Sacco drive
Reflecting on his tenure as youth councillor, Mr Mubangizi cited the establishment of a functional youth Sacco, which he helped initiate.
“For the first time since the district’s creation, we celebrated Youth Day. There are now 159 youth groups accessing funds under the Youth Livelihood Programme. The Sacco has helped many young people get affordable loans for their businesses,” he said.
Mr Katemburura, also seeking the chairmanship, said this would be his first attempt at elective politics, although he has nurtured political ambitions for 15 years. His key concern is the widespread sale of public jobs.
“Parents take out loans to educate their children, only for those children to take on more debt to bribe their way into jobs. It’s unacceptable,” he said. He criticised the current administration for implementing projects without community input.
“Look at the Shs1.2 billion market in Kamwenge Town Council. It ia now overgrown with bushes because vendors weren’t consulted,” he said. “The money claimed to have been spent isn’t reflected in the quality of the project. We must promote transparency,” he added. Think tank
Mr Byarugaba Geoffrey. Photo/Courtesy
Think tank
Mr Katemburura pledged to establish a district think tank comprising elders, retirees, and experienced professionals to assess local manpower, track employment, and lobby for job opportunities.
“We risk losing Shs2 billion this financial year because staff promotions have stalled. Many of our professionals are working abroad simply because they cannot find jobs at home,” he said. Given Kamwenge’s status as a host district for refugees, he also promised to collaborate with NGOs to ensure that job opportunities benefit local residents first. Mr Byarugaba, who retired early to join politics, said his motivation stems from persistent gaps in service delivery. “To this day, children study under trees, share latrines, or attend schools without enough teachers. Some schools ask parents to pay teachers’ salaries, yet education is supposed to be free.
As district chairperson, I cannot allow this to continue,” he said. He pledged to ensure that schools receive enough teachers and proper infrastructure, eliminating the need for parents to contribute financially. Mr Byarugaba also revealed that Kamwenge returned approximately Shs2 billion to the central government in the 2023/24 Financial Year due to delays in recruiting staff.
“This has worsened the staffing crisis in schools and other government offices,” he added. Mr Byarugaba also criticised the non-functional status of Kabuye and Ntwonwa sub-counties, created in 2021, noting that residents still rely on their parent sub-counties and are missing out on government services such as the Parish Development Model (PDM).
On tackling poverty, he faulted the current leadership for failing to support farmers adequately. “People get PDM funds, but they are not properly guided on how to use them. Under my leadership, every sub-county will have a model farm where residents can learn modern farming practices,” he pledged. His campaign centres on improving education, making local governments functional, and empowering residents to enhance their livelihoods.
Meanwhile, Mr Karungi confirmed he would seek re-election, beginning with the NRM primaries. “I have accomplished many things for the people of Kamwenge, and I believe they will trust me with another term,” he said.
Locals build health centre
In February, residents of Kagada I and II in Kiyagara Parish, Kamwenge District, constructed their own health facility to improve service delivery in their area.
The bold move, typically the responsibility of the government, was necessitated by the fact that the nearest health facility, Kiyagara Health Centre III, is 20km away from their two villages, which have a combined total of 378 households.
Mr Alozio Barisigara, the chairperson of Kagada I, which has 189 households, then said: “Women suffer from getting services at Kiyagara Health Centre III, so we agreed as locals to pull resources and construct a health facility. Two people (locals) gave us half an acre of land to construct a facility.”
The plan began to take shape when residents started collecting money from both villages to fund the project.
The two villages are located in Kibale West Constituency.
Although the facility is not yet fully complete, the district started providing medical outreach services every first Wednesday of the month, benefiting 185 children.
Mr Gaston Turyahikayo, a Village Health Team (VHT) member for Kagada, pointed out the challenge of lack of water.
“All the households in Kagada share one borehole, and we also contributed Shs200,000 for the government to give us another borehole. The lack of water has been increasing the disease burden. The most common disease in this area is malaria.”
