Buyende District – As the National Resistance Movement (NRM) primaries unfold today, the race for the Budiope West parliamentary seat in Buyende District, Busoga Region, has captured national attention. Hon. Babirye Milly Babalanda, Uganda’s Minister for the Presidency, is challenging the incumbent, Hon. Kyoto Ibrahim Mululi, in a contest that could reshape the constituency’s future.
Since announcing her candidacy, Babalanda has launched a series of impactful initiatives, signaling a new era of leadership that contrasts sharply with Mululi’s tenure. Her proactive engagement, grassroots mobilization, and national influence position her as a frontrunner, promising transformative development for Budiope West and redefining its political landscape.
The Incumbent: Hon. Kyoto Ibrahim MululiHon. Kyoto Ibrahim Mululi, a procurement officer by profession, has represented Budiope West since 2021, securing the NRM flag in the 2020 primaries against then-incumbent Hon. Robert Musoke and other contenders. His 2021 general election victory raised hopes for change in a constituency grappling with underdevelopment, poor infrastructure, and challenges in the fishing sector. However, Mululi’s tenure has been criticized for unfulfilled promises, including the long-delayed tarmacking of the Bukungu-Kamuli road, provision of the Bukungu Ferry at Lake Kyoga, and addressing marine police harassment of fishing communities.
At recent joint campaign rallies, Mululi faced hecklers demanding accountability, reflecting voter frustration. Mululi’s inability to deliver transformative change has left Budiope West yearning for a more dynamic leader.
Babalanda’s Campaign, A New Shift for Budiope West
Since announcing her bid for Budiope West, Hon. Babirye Milly Babalanda has transformed the constituency’s political and developmental landscape. Her decision to contest in her rural home, despite options in urban Jinja, underscores her commitment to addressing local challenges like poverty, education, and infrastructure.
Babalanda’s candidacy represents a significant shift from Mululi’s tenure, driven by her proactive initiatives, unmatched grassroots support, and strategic connections.
Babalanda’s Initiatives
Babalanda has rolled out a series of community-focused initiatives through her Babalanda Foundation and personal efforts, directly addressing Budiope West’s pressing needs:
- Education Support through the Babalanda Foundation: Launched on February 28, 2025, at Buganzi Primary School, the Babalanda Foundation targets Buyende’s high school dropout rates, particularly among girls, by providing scholastic materials such as books, pens, and uniforms. In June 2025, Babalanda donated desks to schools in Kidera and Makanga, addressing classroom overcrowding. These efforts aim to reduce early marriages and motherhood, which are prevalent in the constituency, empowering young women to stay in school.
- Infrastructure and Community Welfare: Babalanda has donated solar lamps to unelectrified trading centers like those in Ikanda Parish, improving security and extending business hours for small traders. She has also facilitated the construction of boreholes in villages such as Kiteta, providing clean water to communities reliant on unsafe sources. These initiatives address immediate needs, enhancing her reputation as a leader who delivers tangible results.
- Economic Empowerment: Babalanda has championed government programs like the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga, ensuring that 15,218 people in Buyende have benefited from UGX 15.2 billion in funding. Her door-to-door campaigns in parishes like Budola have included distributing seedlings, mattresses, and financial support for school fees, directly addressing poverty and fostering economic resilience.
- Religious and Social Cohesion: As a devout Seventh-day Adventist, Babalanda has strengthened community ties by donating motorcycles to Catholic leaders and contributing to church construction projects across denominations. These gestures have fostered goodwill among Budiope West’s multi-ethnic and multi-religious population, promoting unity in a region often divided by political rivalries.
- High-Profile Events and Advocacy: Babalanda’s June 7, 2025, thanksgiving ceremony in Buyende, attended by ministers, MPs, and Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), showcased her ability to draw national attention to the constituency. The event boosted local businesses and networks, while her advocacy secured presidential pledges for infrastructure projects, including tarmacking the Kamuli and Jinja–Budondo roads. Her June 3, 2025, meeting in Jinja, mobilizing Busoga leaders to endorse President Museveni for 2026, further elevated Buyende’s profile.
Implications for Babalanda’s Politics
Babalanda’s initiatives have solidified her political standing in Budiope West, positioning her as the frontrunner in the NRM primaries:
- Grassroots Dominance: Her landslide victory in the NRM Women’s League election on May 23, 2025, securing 57 out of 70 votes for Buyende District’s chairperson position, demonstrates her overwhelming support, particularly among women, a critical voting bloc. Her door-to-door campaigns and community projects have made her a household name, with voters in parishes like Igoola praising her accessibility and generosity.
- Reconciliatory Leadership: Unlike the factionalism that characterizes Busoga politics, Babalanda’s call for unity post her Women’s League victory and her avoidance of smear campaigns have earned her respect. Her ability to reconcile NRM members and work with diverse leaders, including Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, her early mentor, strengthens her political capital.
- National Clout: Babalanda’s close ties to President Museveni, who has praised her as a “good mobilizer” and credited her COVID-19 recovery in 2021 to his support, give her a unique advantage. Her role as Minister for the Presidency, streamlining RDC operations, and her mobilization efforts for Museveni’s 2021 and 2026 campaigns amplify her influence, ensuring she can secure resources for Budiope West.
These efforts have cemented Babalanda’s image as a “tested, trusted, and dependable” leader, as she declared at her nomination. Her proactive approach contrasts with Mululi’s perceived inaction, positioning her to dominate the primaries and potentially reshape Busoga’s political dynamics.
Impact on Budiope West’s Development
Babalanda’s initiatives since announcing her bid have far-reaching implications for Budiope West’s development:
- Education and Empowerment: By addressing school dropouts through the Babalanda Foundation, she is tackling a root cause of poverty and early marriages, empowering a new generation of educated youth. This could reduce Busoga’s high rates of teenage pregnancy and foster long-term economic growth.
- Infrastructure Gains: Her advocacy for road tarmacking and provision of solar lamps and boreholes directly improves connectivity, security, and access to clean water. These projects address longstanding grievances, such as the lack of progress on the Bukungu-Kamuli road, and could attract investment to Budiope West’s fishing and agricultural sectors.
- Economic Transformation: Her support for PDM and Emyooga aligns with Buyende’s need for economic empowerment. By distributing seedlings and financial aid, Babalanda is fostering self-reliance, potentially transforming Budiope West into a hub for small-scale entrepreneurship.
- Elevated National Profile: Babalanda’s high-profile events and connections have brought unprecedented attention to Buyende, a district often overlooked. Her ability to secure presidential pledges and draw national leaders to the constituency signals a shift from its “footnote” status, positioning it for increased government investment.
Babalanda Represents a New Path
Babalanda’s candidacy stands in stark contrast to Mululi’s tenure, which has been defined by unfulfilled promises and voter disillusionment. Mululi’s struggles to deliver on infrastructure and address fishing community challenges have left Budiope West stagnant, while Babalanda’s tangible actions—solar lamps, boreholes, and education support—demonქSystem: demonstrate her commitment to immediate, impactful results.
Her strategic communication and avoidance of political rivalries, combined with her national influence, offer a fresh approach to leadership that Mululi’s tenure has lacked.
A Constituency at a Crossroads
As Budiope West casts its votes in the NRM primaries, the contrast between Mululi’s incumbency and Babalanda’s transformative vision is clear. Mululi’s tenure has been marred by unfulfilled promises, leaving voters eager for change. Babalanda’s proactive initiatives since announcing her bid—education support, infrastructure improvements, economic empowerment, and community unity—demonstrate her commitment to delivering results. Her national clout, grassroots dominance, and reconciliatory leadership position her to redefine Budiope West’s future, potentially elevating it from a forgotten constituency to a model of development in Uganda. With her pledge to “change our constituency,” Babalanda is poised to lead Budiope West into a new era of progress.
The writer is a veteran journalist and serves as deputy RDC Kassanda district
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