How Agnes Lunkuse beat the odds to become Kalangala’s first female LC5 boss

Kalangala, Uganda: The National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate, Ms Agnes Lunkuse, made history on January 22 when she won the Kalangala District LC5 chairperson race, becoming the first woman to be elected political head of the island district since its creation in 1989.

Lunkuse, who contested on the ruling party ticket, secured 11,257 votes, defeating Robert Geoffrey Munaaba of the National Unity Platform, who polled 5,825 votes, according to results declared by District Returning Officer Ronald Agaba.

Her victory marked a political breakthrough in a district previously led exclusively by men, including the late Kiriwo Kigongo, Daniel Kikoola, Willy Lugoloobi, and outgoing chairperson Rajab Semakula, who served a single term from 2021.

Speaking shortly after her declaration, Lunkuse attributed her win to sustained grassroots engagement rather than money-driven campaigning. “I realised that people don’t elect you because of money, but because of the impact you create in their lives,” she said.

Among the initiatives she cited was the donation of a wooden boat to the Kaazi Malanga community to help schoolchildren cross Lake Victoria after rising water levels submerged access roads. She also spearheaded construction of the first public toilet in Gaza village on Buggala Island, a project residents say greatly improved sanitation, particularly for women.

Smooth NRM primary path

Lunkuse first emerged as the NRM flag bearer after internal party negotiations saw Farouk Bukenya and Livingstone Musoke step down in her favour. The unopposed nomination allowed her to conserve resources and focus on community mobilisation months ahead of the general campaign.

Her campaign blended social media mobilisation and physical outreach across Kalangala’s densely populated landing sites. NRM youth groups amplified her messaging online while countering negative narratives, ensuring her posters and videos circulated widely across district platforms.

She also leveraged government-led community meetings at landing sites to engage voters directly and participated in joint campaigns with NRM parliamentary candidates, often returning repeatedly to high-density fishing communities.

Lunkuse said education will be her top priority, particularly addressing policy gaps affecting island districts. “The cost of transporting a child from Kaazi Bugaba to Semawundo is equivalent to taking a child to an international school,” she said, pledging to lobby for funding to build island-based schools with boarding sections.

Early leadership roots

Lunkuse’s leadership journey began at Bishop Dunstan Memorial Secondary School on Buggala Island, where she served as head girl. At 17, she successfully petitioned district leaders and the Education Ministry to establish an A-Level UNEB centre at the school.

Former LC5 chairperson Daniel Kikoola helped her access the ministry, a move that expanded A-Level opportunities for girls across the district. She later advocated for the inclusion of girls in sponsorship programmes that had previously favoured boys.

Kalangala district councillor Joy Nakimuli said Lunkuse’s track record influenced her vote, noting that many girls benefited directly from her early activism.

Disputed conduct claims

Lunkuse’s rival, Munaaba of NUP, alleged electoral malpractice, claiming state agencies favoured NRM candidates and that government programmes such as iron sheet distribution and the Parish Development Model (PDM) were used for vote mobilisation.

However, Assistant RDC Henry Lubulwa dismissed the claims, saying the RDC’s office worked with leaders across party lines and that voters independently decided their leaders.

Kalangala District comprises 84 islands scattered across Lake Victoria, with 42,452 registered voters, according to the Electoral Commission. In the 2021 elections, NUP’s Rajab Semakula defeated NRM’s Willy Lugoloobi, who has since won the Bujumba County MP seat.

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