Buhanda: Western region’s only female NRM flag bearer for LC5

Ms Jemimah Buhanda Tumwijukye, 67, was on September 11 elected the NRM flag bearer for the Sheema District chairperson seat. 

She is the only female who won the party flag for the chairperson seat in south-western region, and perhaps one of the very few in the country.

Ms Buhanda defeated Mr Laban Muhabwe, Mr David Kabigumira and Mr Eldard Mwesigye. Mr Kabigumira is the current district chairperson, having been elected on Independent ticket in 2016. Mr Mwesigye is the Kasaana Sub-county councillor serving a second term and the former district vice chairperson. 

He was sacked by Mr Kabigumira four months ago after the former showed interest to challenge him.
Mr Muhabwe, a former commissioner of police,  contested for Sheema South MP seat in 2016 on Independent ticket and lost to Prof Ephraim Kamuntu. 

Ms Buhanda’s victory came as a surprise given her advanced age and the largely patriarchal environment.

 Why was she able to pull it off? 
Ms Buhanda is not new in politics. She was the councillor for Kagango Sub-county and Kabwohe/Itendero Town council in then Bushenyi District council from 2001 to 2010 and served as deputy speaker during the same period.

When Sheema was carved out of Bushenyi in 2010, Ms Buhanda became a member of Sheema District council up to 2011. She never sought re-election. Instead she set her eyes on the district chairperson seat.
 
She had to go back to school first. Having trained as teacher at Buwalasi Teachers College in Mbale several years ago, Ms Buhanda enrolled for a diploma and later a degree course.

 She, in 2014 enrolled for a diploma in guidance and counselling at Ankole Western University in Sheema and completed in 2016. Ms Buhanda had started a degree course when she got an accident and suffered severe injuries. Her knee cap got damaged and she underwent an operation where it was replaced with a plastic one. 

“Quitting then [2011] was a tactical withdrawal because I wanted to give myself an ample time and prepare myself for a bigger seat of the district chairmanship,” Ms Buhanda says.
“During the time I spent out of politics, I went back to school and attained a diploma and I was doing a bachelor’s degree in the some field when I got an accident that nearly took my life,” she adds.

She has campaigned on the platform of uniting Sheema leadership as well as the ordinary people. The leaders and locals have a tendency of invoking religion in order to dominate or influence affairs of the district. 
 
“People of Sheema want unity in the council, accountability and transparency but not these divisions that have killed development efforts. I want to bring all the people of Sheema on board, not divide and rule tendencies, to curb intrigue among the leaders and people of Sheema,” Ms Buhanda says.

She adds: “You need not take anybody in Sheema for granted; bring all of them on board because people are not looking for a canon or bishop but leaders in local government. I’m a person of all seasons and besides, as a leader, I need everybody on board regardless of his or her religious affiliation.”

Without cooperation, Ms Buhanda says she will not move anything in the right direction. 

Her strategy
“I need all people of Sheema to come on board for a better Sheema they all want to see five years from now,” she reveals.

 Ms Buhanda says she is inspired by Ms Miria Matembe, the former Mbarara Woman MP and minister of Ethics and Integrity, who she says was a trail-blazer for women to join political leadership.

“She is a straight forward person and passionate about women taking up leadership. When she was still in NRM, she used to give induction courses and since then I took up the massage to be determined and courageous. I admire her bravery and leadership qualities she has continued to portray in Uganda and beyond,” she says.
She says the future of women in politics is very bright, especially under the NRM leadership. 

“I started this campaign by telling women that I am paving a way for them, I wish a number of them (women) could come up and fight for these leadership positions,”  she says.
Ms Buhanda was born in 1953 in Nyabushabi, Kyanamira Sub-county, in Kabale District in a humble family. She lost her father when she was in Junior Two. 

Ms Buhanda attended Nyabushabi Primary School and Kigezi High School. After Senior Four, she joined Buwalasi Teachers College in Mbale. 
She joined Uganda Post and Telecommunications Ltd where she met her husband, Mr Elimunsi Buhanda.  

After 15 years at Uganda Post and Telecommunication Ltd they retired to her husband’s home in Kateete Village, Kyabandara Parish in Sheema Municipality. They have eight children.
The family owns commercial buildings as well as Kihunda Parents Secondary School in Sheema District. Ms Buhanda has also been Kateete Village chairperson, Kyabandara Parish chairperson and chairperson of women’s council at Kagango Sub-county.

“I have grandchildren, so I’m an old woman who is in politics not to look for resources but to serve my people. So those saying that I’m old; I know I’m old but with brains and experience that will turn Sheema into a better district,” Ms Buhanda says.

What residents, leaders say about Buhanda
Mr Odo Tayebwa, the former Bushenyi Ishaka MP and the former Bushenyi District speaker: “Ms Buhanda is a hardworking woman and very developmental; who always worked for her people to develop economically. 
She knows local government very well, and I know she will make Sheema District shine because she knows how to handle staff and all things of budget. During our time in Bushenyi District as my deputy speaker, whenever I was not
around I would be feeling comfortable because she was there. People of Sheema have made a very wise decision to vote Jemimah because you know with local government, we need people who know what
they are doing, not these gamblers.”

Ms Justine Burisadi, the Bushenyi District speaker: “I
learnt a lot from Ms Buhanda when she served as the district deputy speaker before Bushenyi was split. She was deputy speaker for two terms and we used call her mom because of her kindness. She used to treat women in a special way; she mentored me to become a speaker myself. She was also a no-nonsense lady who used to put the council in order.”

Mr Simon Abaho, the Kyangyenyi Sub-county councillor: “Ms Buhanda was elected because she has all qualities people wanted. She does not involve herself in dirty politics of Sheema that are
largely driven by religion. She came by her own, not leaning to a certain section of big people. People of Sheema all along wanted someone who is liberal and neutral.”

Mr Nicolas Gumisiriza,  resident of Kyabandara ward in Sheema
Municipality:. “Ms Buhanda is a long serving politician with experience that can drive Sheema to greater heights. She has done a lot for the people of Sheema, ranging from giving out bursaries to setting up a guiding and counselling centre in Kabwohe Town which has helped a big number of families. I think these are some of the reasons why the people of Sheema decided to vote for her.”

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