DEFECTORS OR DEVELOPERS? THE BUNYARUGURU CROSSROADS AHEAD OF 2026

DEFECTORS OR DEVELOPERS? THE BUNYARUGURU CROSSROADS AHEAD OF 2026

By Ahimbisibwe Vicent

> “When the roots are deep, there is no reason to fear the wind.” – African Proverb

As the political drums begin to beat louder in anticipation of Uganda’s 2026 general elections, the people of Bunyaruguru Constituency in Rubirizi District stand at a critical crossroads. It is not just a choice between candidates; it is a choice between two destinies—one guided by the thunder of defections, and the other built on the quiet, enduring work of development.

A wise man once posed a riddle:

“I make the loudest noise but leave no footprint; I gather crowds but change no lives. What am I?”

The answer is plain in today’s Bunyaruguru: a politics of defections without direction.

TWO CAMPS, TWO PATHS

Today, two political ideologies are shaping the narrative in Bunyaruguru.

Camp One champions defections. They thrive on publicity stunts, filling social media feeds with videos of individuals renouncing their past affiliations. They boast about “winning over” political converts like trophies on a shelf. Their strategy is clear: gather numbers, chase optics, and dance in applause.

But Camp Two believes in a deeper truth:

> “A cow does not grow fat by being praised; it grows fat by being fed.” – Ugandan Proverb

This camp, powered by a people-first agenda, has quietly been transforming lives—brick by brick, seed by seed, life by life. Their concern is not who crosses over, but who moves forward. They measure progress not in defectors but in delivered services.

DEVELOPMENT AS THE TRUE DEFINING FACTOR

Let’s ask: What will build the Bunyaruguru we dream of?

Videos of people switching camps? Or videos of school fees being paid, patients receiving free medical services, girls getting sanitary dignity kits, and farmers collecting improved seedlings for the next planting season?

Here are just some of the visible and verifiable interventions being implemented by the development-centered leadership in Bunyaruguru:

1. EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS

Support has been extended to learners from primary to university, giving deserving students from poor families access to education. It’s not just about schooling—it’s about unlocking destinies. Because as Aristotle once said:

> “The educated differ from the uneducated as much as the living from the dead.”

2. SPORTS DEVELOPMENT

From funding local tournaments to providing jerseys and equipment to youth teams, this leadership is using football and athletics not just for recreation, but as a tool for youth mobilization, discipline, and exposure. “If you want peace, give the youth a pitch,” they say.

3. FARMERS FIRST

Agricultural empowerment has taken center stage, with thousands of fruit and timber tree seedlings distributed to local farmers. These are not just trees—they are investments. As the proverb says:

> “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.”

4. COMMUNITY HEALTH CAMPS

With health outreach programs held in rural trading centers, the poor and elderly are receiving medical attention they otherwise couldn’t afford. Mama kits for pregnant women and sanitary pads for schoolgirls are a regular part of these efforts, ensuring that no woman is left behind because of poverty.

5. ROAD RENOVATION THROUGH BURUNGI BWANSI

Where government grading machines are absent, the people have been mobilized through the cultural principle of Burungi Bwansi to work on their own roads. With tools, fuel, and food provided by this leadership, potholes are giving way to pathways.

6. YOUTH & WOMEN EMANCIPATION

From capital for small businesses to capacity-building sessions, both young men and women are receiving the support they need to become job creators. Because as the African adage goes:

> “If you educate a man, you educate an individual. But if you educate a woman, you educate a nation.”

7. SUPPORT FOR RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS

Mosques, churches, and faith-based groups are not forgotten. From roofing support to public address systems, religious centers are receiving the recognition they deserve—as pillars of community harmony and hope.

DEFECTIONS: THE CURRENCY OF WEAK IDEAS?

There is nothing inherently wrong with changing political affiliation. But when the entire political currency of a camp is built on defections, the result is a politics of personality over policy, emotion over reason.

Development, unlike defection, does not expire after the elections. It lives on in the life of the mother who safely delivers, the child who returns to school, the farmer who doubles his yield, and the youth who escapes unemployment through sport or entrepreneurship.

As philosopher John Stuart Mill once said:

> “The worth of a state in the long run is the worth of the individuals composing it.”

WHO THEN IS FIT TO LEAD BUNYARUGURU FROM 2026–2031?

It must be someone who builds, not breaks. One who develops the people, not just defects the people. One who sows the seeds of prosperity, unity, and resilience.

The best candidate is one whose record already reflects a heart for the people. One who believes that the victory of the people is better than the victory of the politician. One who doesn’t just chase votes, but chases impact.

Let us ask: who has walked the dusty paths of Katerera, Kichwamba, and Katanda not just to campaign, but to serve?

Let us remember:

> “A leader is best when people barely know he exists; when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” – Lao Tzu

IN CONCLUSION: OUR CHOICE, OUR FUTURE

As we approach the 2026 elections, Bunyaruguru must not be misled by the politics of clapping, shouting, and defecting. The true revolution is not in changing party colors, but in changing people’s lives.

So when you cast your vote, ask yourself:

“Am I voting for someone who makes noise, or someone who makes progress?”

Because at the end of the day, roads matter more than rhetoric, schools more than speeches, and service more than showmanship.