Bunyoro minister-designate promises fresh push to address Bunyoro challenges

The Bunyoro affairs state minister-designate, Grace Mary Mugasa, has highlighted some of the issues affecting the development of the Bunyoro region that she intends to prioritise during her tenure in the ministry.

The Ministry of Bunyoro Affairs was created by President Yoweri Museveni in May 2011 as part of an affirmative action initiative aimed at developing the region and promoting socio-economic transformation.

Mugasa was appointed State Minister for Bunyoro Affairs by President Museveni last month, replacing Janifer Kacha Namuyangu, who was dropped from Cabinet.

Mugasa, who has been serving as public service state minister, said the Ministry of Bunyoro Affairs, which operates under the Office of the Prime Minister, was created as an affirmative action measure to address issues affecting the region's development, but many of those challenges remain unresolved.

While appearing on a talk show on 106.9 Kabalega FM on May 28, 2026, Mugasa highlighted land disputes, the Bunyoro Kitara kingdom leadership crisis, wealth creation, education, healthcare and corruption in local governments as some of the issues she intends to prioritise after assuming office.

On the issue of leadership in the kingdom, Mugasa said her first task after taking office would be to engage various stakeholders in finding a solution to the leadership crisis.

She noted that since the Omukama of Bunyoro, Dr Solomon Gafabusa Iguru I, has been in poor health, the kingdom has been facing a leadership crisis, which she said is affecting the social, cultural and economic development of the region.

Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom has operated without a cabinet and Rukurato (parliament) for the past three years after their terms expired. The Omukama has been unable to appoint new leaders due to ill health, creating a leadership vacuum.

However, Mugasa promised to engage stakeholders and relevant authorities to find a way of addressing the challenge.

"When we talk of Bunyoro, our cultural institution is the heart and when the leadership of the institution is having issues, all of us we get affected, so my first assignment in this office of Ministry of Bunyoro Affairs will be looking on how to address the issue, I will not do it alone but I will engage different stakeholder including the president who resuscitated the cultural institution, I can tell you that I already shared this issue to our President and he will guide us" she said.

She noted that many members of the public know the Ministry of Bunyoro Affairs as an office that supplies iron sheets to churches and schools, emphasising that its role should go beyond that.

She said her office would advocate for systematic land demarcation to ensure local communities in the region obtain land titles, which she described as a key requirement for development.

According to Mugasa, Bunyoro continues to face widespread land conflicts, which hinder people from engaging in development activities such as coffee and cocoa growing.

"We cannot encourage our people to take advantage of the Parish Development Model to create wealth when they have no rightful ownership of the land, when they are supposed to carry out their development, so we need to address the land issue if we need people to benefit from these government programs."

She added that she would also advocate for an increase in the ministry's budget to enable it to support wealth creation groups.

Mugasa said several districts continue to struggle with poor roads due to a lack of road equipment and pledged to engage the Ministry of Local Government, noting that the minister is a son of the region, to secure road machinery for districts.

On healthcare, Mugasa said many districts lack adequate hospital facilities, which affects service delivery, and pledged to make the issue a key advocacy priority.

On education, the minister promised to lobby for funding to expedite the construction of Bunyoro Public University, noting that although the university had been launched, it lacks funding to begin construction.

She said the university is crucial to advancing education in the region, adding that the absence of a public university limits opportunities for many families seeking higher education.

"All these things I have listed I will not do them alone but am going to make wider consultation with different stakeholders, including church, postictal and cultural opinion leaders and the business community. We are going to form a think tank that will be advising other leaders and me on what to do."

She commended President Museveni for appointing her and other ministers, as well as giving Bunyoro the position of Prime Minister, saying they would work together to ensure socio-economic transformation in the region.

President Museveni appointed several ministers without constituencies, including Mugasa, local government minister Balaam Barugahara and Jonard Asiimwe,  science, technology and innovation minister.

He also appointed Fred Byamukama, the MP for Bugangaizi West County in Kakumiro district, as works and transport minister, and Robinah Nabbanja, the Kakumiro District Woman MP, as Prime Minister.

The Bunyoro sub-region comprises eight districts: Hoima, Masindi, Kibaale, Kiryandongo, Buliisa, Kagadi, Kakumiro, and Kikuube.

John Musinguzi, a resident of Masindi district, and Peter Rukyarekere, a resident of Hoima city, commended President Museveni for appointing a daughter of the region to oversee Bunyoro Affairs.

They said Mugasa understands the challenges facing Bunyoro and expressed hope that some of the region's longstanding issues would finally be addressed.