“Your title makes you a manager, your people make you a leader,” is a famous line from Bill Campell’s Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley speaking volumes about the collective and organic nature of leadership.
The same art of servant leadership has grown and been exhibited by a young lawyer also a real estate developer, Ismael Ssemakula in Kalungu West Constituency, Kalungu district.
Ssemakula’s resolute spirit toward changing communities in Kalungu has uplifted several places of worship, schools, community development groups, and farmers.

On Friday last week, he spent much of his good time in Kalungu reaching out to people. Gave out 200 iron sheets to complete Kabale Church and Shillings 2 million to support the plastering of the clergy’s house, and 120 iron sheets to complete Nalunya church.
Farming is one of the core activities in the area though several farmers continue to struggle with the maintenance of gardens, in his capacity, Ssemakula purchased 120 spraying equipment to help farmers in Kabaale parish look after their gardens, well enough for better yields, leaving a lasting solution for the parishioner’s agricultural needs.
This parish alone (Kabaale) has three villages that benefited. These include Kabaale-Muguluka, Namasavu, Kisaana.

As a champion of advanced academic performance, Ssemakula donated ten computers to Kabungo CoU Secondary School and another ten to Green Hill Secondary School.
“We need to ensure advancing school performance, especially the digital sector, this is the only way that ultimately creates a more prosperous, equitable, and resilient environment for the new generation.” He noted handing over computers to the school management.
The young leader also donated up to Shillings 3 million to Twezimbe Development Association, Kabale Sacco, Shillings 2 million to Kabungo Secondary School Teachers Sacco and contributed Shillings 1 million for the Kabungo Old Boys and Girls Association Sacco to improve their capacity in utilizing the available resources to develop.
The district leadership proudly associates with his ability to support the governance amidst the dire need with less remittance from the Central Government. It stands out that Ssemakula’s quest is to support society to overcome its pressing needs.

“His work not only supplements the District Local Government in service delivery to our people. We are thankful for his generous support towards solving our society’s challenges,” says Kiragga John, the Mayor of Kalungu Town Council.
Since the creation of the Kalungu West constituency, local people have testified that there has never been a leader who has ever donated a quarter of what Ssemakula has so far provided.
Derrick Ssemugooma, a resident at Kabungo anticipates what would happen once they get such a leader to represent them in parliament.

Besides the legislative role, for any parliamentary hopeful, giving back to the community before joining parliament is a serious promise of proposition leadership rooted in humility and benevolence.
It is not the first time Ismael Ssemakula has donated to people in Kalungu, the Lawyer has purchased playgrounds, and constructed classroom blocks, church houses, and mosques for the community.