KYANAMUKAKA, MASAKA — On a chilly Tuesday afternoon, the Kingdom Kampala office of former Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi feels like a quiet sanctuary of Uganda’s political history.
Portraits of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni anchor the room, commemorating a political partnership forged over decades. Nearby, photographs of Ssekandi’s grandson and close aide, Oscar Mutebi, tell a more intimate story of family, continuity, and public service. While high security surrounds the former Vice President, behind these formal doors lies a story rooted far from the capital—a deep, ongoing attachment to Kyanamukaka, the rural community that nurtured his rise.
Ssekandi’s journey has stretched from the village to Parliament, from the Speaker’s chair to State House. Yet for Kyanamukaka, the impact of that journey is still unfolding.
Where the Road Becomes the Story
For three decades, residents of Kyanamukaka navigated roads that severely limited rural mobility. Dry seasons blanketed villages in thick dust, while heavy rains rendered key routes impassable. Farmers struggled to move produce, traders faced exorbitant transport costs, students trudged through mud, and patients suffered dangerous delays seeking medical care.
Today, ongoing road construction linking communities like Sserinya, Baale, Bulegeya, Kamuzinda, and Kanoni is reshaping the local economy. According to Oscar Mutebi, who serves as a Private Secretary in State House while managing daily duties at Ssekandi’s office, the infrastructure push is long overdue.
“Kyanamukaka is known across the country because of him,” Mutebi reflects.
For long-suffering residents, the new tarmac represents far more than engineering—it represents opportunity. In a rural economy, a usable road is the critical first link in a chain that connects farm production to market trade, trade to household income, and income to community welfare.
Nakidde: “Development Must Reach the People”
Kyanamukaka Town Council Mayor Zaina Nakidde, a National Resistance Movement (NRM) cadre, has welcomed the infrastructure drive while emphasizing that the community’s ambitions must extend further.
“Healthcare, education, sanitation, youth empowerment, and women’s participation must grow alongside physical infrastructure,” Nakidde notes. “We thank our elder and mentor, His Excellency Edward Ssekandi, for championing this road and supporting local healthcare.”
Her core argument is straightforward: a modern road offers little value if those living beside it cannot access essential public services. Ever since local governance shifted to the NRM under her leadership, Kyanamukaka has steadily evolved into an emerging urban hub within Greater Masaka, leading local leaders to lobby aggressively for further state support.
“That growth brings opportunity, but also responsibility,” Nakidde adds, noting that during a recent site visit with Mutebi, she appealed for direct support to refurbish the town council premises and secure administrative resources.
Mutebi and the Responsibility of a New Generation
Among those stepping into this evolving chapter is Oscar Mutebi. Increasingly visible in grassroots mobilization across Greater Masaka, Mutebi’s message centers on practical development, service delivery, and unity.
For Mutebi, his grandfather’s legacy is not merely a list of high-ranking titles, but a repository of institutional wisdom that can mentor a new wave of local leaders. The relationship between the elder statesman and his grandson symbolizes a broader generational shift: Ssekandi represents the cadre that guided Uganda’s modern institutional transformation, while Mutebi represents the youth now tasked with carrying that progress forward.
From Kyanamukaka to the Center of Power
Ssekandi’s political resume is uniquely vast. Having served as a Member of Parliament, Speaker of Parliament (2001–2011), and Vice President of Uganda (2011–2021), he spent decades at the epicenter of the nation’s legislative and executive power.
Supporters often refer to him as a “living encyclopedia of state matters.” Yet, political history alone cannot sustain a rural community. Leadership must ultimately be measured against the daily realities of ordinary citizens.
The Farmer Needs More Than a Harvest
Local businessman Stephen Kawonawo views infrastructure strictly through the lens of economic survival. Greater Masaka remains an agricultural powerhouse driven by coffee, bananas, dairy, and livestock. However, a rich harvest sitting idle in a village does not generate wealth.
“A farmer needs access to the road just as much as access to fertile soil,” notes local farmer Paul Kawonawo, echoing the sentiment that reliable transport directly reduces the costly barriers between rural producers and urban buyers.
The Legacy Beyond Titles
Ssekandi’s political trajectory will be interpreted in various ways across Uganda’s democratic history. But in Kyanamukaka, the truest evaluation comes from everyday life: a mother reaching a health facility in time, a child attending a well-equipped school, a farmer selling crops at a fair price, and a young person finding local employment.
Back in Ssekandi’s Kampala office, the framed portraits remain static on the wall. But outside, Kyanamukaka itself forms a living portrait—one of emerging roads, expanding businesses, and a town council planning for tomorrow.
The story of Ssekandi’s road home reveals a fundamental truth: the journey of a statesman may eventually rest in the history books, but the aspirations of his people move continuously forward.
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