Kibowa Vows to Back Single Mothers, Market Vendors as Kayunga Leaders Endorse Her Bid

By Denis Mukisa

National Resistance Movement (NRM) men’s leaders in Kayunga District have endorsed Hajjat Faridah Kibowa’s bid for a second term as National Women’s Council chairperson, commending her work in strengthening families and advancing women through government programmes.

Praise for family stability and empowerment

Galiwango Muhammad, NRM chairperson for Ssenda Village in Nazigo Town Council, said Kibowa has consistently urged women to respect their marriages, husbands, and government during workshops and seminars, guidance he credited with helping reduce domestic violence in homes. Leaders also highlighted her role in mobilising women into the ruling party by promoting initiatives such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga, which target poverty eradication at grassroots level.

Call for national support and unopposed victory

Local leaders appealed to women voters nationwide to “mercifully vote” for Kibowa, pointing to her first-term achievements. Wasswa Kabenge Shafik, NRM chairperson for Nazigo Town Council, expressed hope that Kibowa would emerge unopposed at the national level, just as she did at village and town council stages, adding that victories by NRM-backed women chairpersons at lower levels signal the party’s resurgence in Kayunga. Leaders further applauded the President for policies they say have uplifted women and reduced dependence on husbands.

Kibowa’s priorities: vulnerable groups and skills training

Speaking after her unopposed nomination in Nazigo Town Council, Kibowa thanked women for their trust and pledged to prioritise vulnerable groups, including single mothers, widows, market vendors, and women in ghettos. She said five village women committees would provide free advice and support to these groups. To address unemployment, she promised to work with village committees to secure admissions for women and girls at the government Industrial Hub, equipping them with skills to fight poverty and curb early marriages.

Unity and next election stages

Flavia Jima, publicity secretary of the town council Women’s Committee, called for unity and collaboration with Kibowa to improve women’s welfare in the community. Elections for women’s committees at town council and subcounty levels are scheduled for Tuesday next week, after which winners will proceed to district and national contests.

Who is Hajjat Faridah Kibowa?

Hajjat Faridah Kibowa is a Ugandan politician and community leader who has served as chairperson of the National Women’s Council, a statutory body that coordinates and advocates for women’s issues across Uganda’s local and national structures. She is widely known within NRM circles as a mobiliser who promotes government programmes such as the Parish Development Model and Emyooga, and she has positioned herself as a defender of family stability, often urging women to uphold marriages and respect for husbands and government. In her public statements, she has emphasised support for vulnerable groups such as single mothers, widows, market vendors and women in informal settlements, and pledged to link them to skills-training opportunities at government industrial hubs to reduce poverty and early marriages.

Women’s councils in Uganda

Women’s councils in Uganda are part of a tiered, elected structure established under the National Women’s Council Act to represent women’s interests from village level up to the national council. The system runs through village, parish or ward, subcounty or town division, district and finally the National Women’s Council, with elections held periodically to choose women chairpersons and committee members at each level. These councils are mandated to coordinate women’s programmes, advocate for gender-responsive policies, link women to government livelihood schemes, and provide a channel through which women’s concerns feed into local government and national decision-making. In practice, they often work closely with ruling-party structures and local leaders, which is why endorsements from NRM cadres like those in Kayunga carry significant weight in women’s council elections.