On the watchdog role in the community, our reporter’s attention was drawn to Florence Nampijja, a poor lady residing at Katoogo Village in Nama Sub County whose house was destroyed by heavy rainstorms sometime back.
She was sitting before a newly constructed house pending finishing (plaster), to ascertain the proper direction of the journey, he sought assistance from her before passing a congratulatory message for the new house. Nampijja’s response was instead spectacular.
“Nabukeera, munebalizeko Hanifer Nabukeera,” she made a statement loosely translated as ‘convey the appreciation to Nabukeera’. She said with her hands raised in the sky blessing Nabukeera, the District Woman Member of Parliament for Mukono.
Our reporter left Katoogo village in glee, nonetheless, this was not the end of his interest to know more about the Mukono district legislator.
Later we caught up with a local citizen Journalist at Mukono, Patrick Musoke who highlighted various contributions towards the community development Nabukeera has done but gone unnoticed by the bigger public. Our role remained to check the validity of the activities he highlighted.
“She has done a lot, she is a person who likes listening to residents and is keen on critical facts. This probably explains why she is always in communities relating with residents, unlike the many legislators we have seen waiting for constituents at their homes to listen to their challenges.” Musoke notes.
Into The Community
Part of Mukono district is surrounded by Lake Victoria waters, which gives several residents automatic employment opportunities but also risks tragedies such as dangerous storms and tornadoes (Ensoke) leaving properties such as houses and gardens destroyed.
Tragic cases have mainly happened in Mpatta and Mpunge sub-counties. Joseph Mugoya, a resident at Gobero Village told this website that Nabukeera always visits them with instant support on top of pressurizing the government’s interventions.
“Because of her efforts, we received support from the Office of the Prime Minister but much more importantly, the government considered a special assessment to guide communities surrounding the lake,” Mugoya notes.
Effective Healthcare
Her lobbying desires do not stop at food and housing materials for troubled communities, they stretch to the healthcare sector, in facilities such as Katoogo health centre, Njanja, Seeta-Namuganga, Kyungu, and Kasawo testifies receiving beds but also proud in ambulance services she purchased to support referrals from such facilities.
“The ambulance helped us a lot, however, it seems nowadays is facing several technical breakdowns, and the honourable needs to work on it.” Solomon Jjumbwe, a resident at Kasawo noted.
Good health also involves access to good and clean water, the legislator has stood grounds for advocating for piped water extension in urban centres but also for drilling of boreholes in rural areas.
She stood a strong ground to ensure that authorities cleared Love Bint-International. The organization has now constructed over ten boreholes for residents in sub-counties around the Lakeshore. Lately, it has laid a clear ground for constructing public toilets for residents.
Promoting Agriculture
Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations indicate that despite the various business transformations, agriculture remains the backbone of Uganda’s economy supporting the livelihood and employment of over 60 percent of the country’s population.
However, again several Ugandans struggle to maneuver the system, the majority fail to access proper seedlings to manage just half an acre of gardens for food crops. Such a challenge was identified by Nabukeera, she ensured the distribution of seedlings especially beans and maize to farmers at a free cost.
Women and Youth Empowerment
As a women representative, she has enabled the strengthening of women and youth’s social relations and their positions in social structures by tackling their positive sense of self, and decision-making but not forgetting the moral system of belief.
This website has confirmed that in every sub-county, the legislator has enabled the creation of women’s groups through which they are educated, and trained, build self-confidence and expansion of choices as well as increase their access to and control over resources.
Such efforts have enabled them to access loans and control them, and establish poultry farms, and catering services among other projects.
In the same spirit, youths have also benefited through talent promotion, especially in games and sports.
Religious Support
She observes the major religious days such as Eid, Christmas, and Easter by contributing towards their success besides supporting major developments at the mosques at all times. His giving hand is not limited to churches.
Response to Party Concerns
Let’s not talk about party matters at the secretariat but politics within the district, political analysts have indicated that the National Unity Platform (NUP) needs more characters of Hanifer Nabukeera to hold their fan base.
She rarely responds to rumours and propaganda but critically analyses issues and then provides solutions. Several foot soldiers would have left the camp over misunderstandings with their constituency MPs but she always opened doors for solace. Tote, the disgruntled party supporters have continued to call Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine their party president.
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