Mukono – For the first time, nightfall didn’t bring pitch darkness to the streets of Bamutakudde Village. On Sunday evening, residents gathered as LC1 Chairman Solomon Serwanjja officially switched on the village’s first 12 solar streetlights, transforming evening life for local families and small businesses.
For local shopkeepers and residents walking home after dark, the change is immediate. “It’s a complete shift from darkness to light,” one resident shared, noting that bright streets mean safer walks home and extra business hours for traders who used to pack up at sunset.
The lights were made possible through a partnership with Genevat Solutions, who provided them at half price with a flexible one-year payment plan. But Serwanjja says this is just the beginning.
“Our goal is 50 lights so that every single corner of Bamutakudde is lit,” Serwanjja said, putting out a call for more partners to help cover the remaining 38 lights.
The solar project is the latest move by Serwanjja, an award-winning investigative journalist who made headlines in July 2026 when he won the LC1 seat in Kyampisi sub county, Mukono north constituency, as an independent by just a single vote (106 to 105).
Since taking the oath in October, he has hit the ground running with a hands-on approach to village leadership.
Rather than waiting for top-down funding, the village has relied heavily on local initiative and targeted partnerships:
Road Repairs: Residents mobilised local murram to fix key village roads, earning praise and backing from the Mukono District leadership.
Farming & Household Incomes: Families received a tonne of maize seed donated by Uganda Prisons, 96 hoes from the Ministry of Agriculture, and hundreds of local chicks following community training to help households build steady egg income.
Youth & Community Life: A new community park has opened, weekly cleanup drives are active, and a partnership with Muteesa I Royal University will soon bring practical skilling—in plumbing, electrical work, and tiling—directly into the village.
Clean water remains the next big hurdle, with plans already underway alongside Salam Charity to sink new wells.
In a country where local councils often struggle with tiny budgets, Bamutakudde is taking a different path—built on community participation, local partnerships, and practical wins people can see the moment they step out their front door.
The post “From Darkness to Light”: Bamutakudde Gets First Solar Streetlights as Chairman Serwanjja Fulfills Campaign Promise appeared first on Watchdog Uganda.