By Jamillah Kemigisa
Amid chants, cheers, and waving supporters at Busiita Playground, Hon. Dr. Peace Regis Mutuzo, the incumbent Woman Member of Parliament for Bunyangabu District, officially launched her re-election campaign with a powerful message: “I’m not done yet.”
Since 2017, she said, her leadership has transformed the young district, increasing its government funding from Shs 19 billion to Shs 33 billion, a feat she attributes to relentless lobbying and strategic influence at the national level.
“That money has transformed our roads, schools, and health services. I sit in Cabinet, where the national cake is shared. If I brought five schools, trust me—I can bring five more,” she said to thunderous applause.
Dr. Mutuzo highlighted her education legacy, having secured government takeovers of five formerly private schools, including Mitandi High School, which had remained private for 62 years. Tuition fees there have since dropped by 50%. She also secured Shs 4.8 billion in funding for the construction of Nsura and Katugunda Seed Secondary Schools, now 80% and 60% complete respectively. Her next goal is to lobby for five more seed schools in underserved areas like Kisomoro, Bukara, Kibiito, Kakinga, and Buhesi.
She further claimed an unmatched commitment to social services, revealing she has used her own salary to drill 318 boreholes, raising clean water coverage to 68% in Bunyangabu. “Ntabago water was a curse to Rwimi. People carried its scars. But now, clean water is free and accessible,” she said.
On electricity, 15 new lines were lobbied in the past year alone, and are set to be completed soon. She insisted that “No one can supervise a vision better than the one who birthed it.” She also took credit for securing land titles in Kibiito, Nyakigumba, and Katebwa, and facilitating the resolution of mailo land disputes in Buhesi through the Ministry of Lands.
Dr. Mutuzo said that household incomes have improved under her leadership. “We relied on matooke. I introduced coffee seedlings. Now, families are earning real money,” she said. Her efforts have led to the creation of coffee processing units in Gatwanga, Kabonero, and Katebwa, and she plans to push for value-added coffee exports—not just raw kiboko beans.
She also lobbied for a nursing school under Mountains of the Moon University to be established in Kasunganyanja, which will work alongside health centers in Kisomoro (slated for upgrade to Health Centre IV) and Kibiito, which is poised to become a full district hospital.
Dr. Mutuzo revealed she personally supports 338 youth every six months with vocational training at a school she built herself, offering hands-on skills to fight unemployment. She also made a passionate plea against the trend of voting out women MPs after just one term, which she said stifles long-term impact. “This pattern cuts off leaders before they reach their full potential. Let’s break it,” she urged.
Facing tough opponents—Hon. Sarah Kabarokole, Hon. Dr. Basemera Nesta, and Hon. Kabugho Mackline—Mutuzo appears undeterred. With a record she says speaks for itself, and a crowd that suggests wide support, she’s setting the stage for what could be a fierce but defining re-election battle.
“No one should make choices for you through threats. Let’s reject outsiders imposed on us. This is Bunyangabu—let’s protect what we built together,” she concluded.
