What Exactly Did Busoga Do to M7? Balunywa’s Case Sparks Basoga Outrage & Mobilization to Defend Their Own

The latest legal charges against Professor Wasswa Balunywa, a distinguished son of Busoga and former principal of Makerere University Business School (MUBS), have ignited widespread anger and unease across the Basoga community.

Balunywa, who devoted decades of his life to public service and has demonstrated unwavering loyalty to President YK Museveni and the NRM, is accused of causing financial loss to government by allegedly employing three administrative assistants without the required academic qualifications during his tenure.

While these charges are part of a larger investigation into payroll mismanagement that has implicated over 30 senior officials and uncovered losses exceeding UGX 53 billion, many Basoga perceive the legal action against him as disproportionate, politically motivated, and a targeted affront to their region. They are arguing that there isn’t that much wrong their son Balunywa did compared to real costly big scandals whose perpetrators were never punished.

The Balunywa predicament has been contrasted with the loss that was occasioned in 2023 when a large number of government officials were implicated to have stolen and shared thousands of iron sheets meant to the vulnerable Karachunas in Karamoja.

Balunywa’s leadership transformed MUBS from a modest MUK department with hardly 150 students into a thriving institution hosting over 20,000 students and employing more than 1500 staff across various levels.

Under his guidance, the Nakawa-based institution became one of East Africa’s most admired academic institutions, with thousands of graduates now occupying key roles in both Uganda’s public and private sectors, a legacy that Basoga feel is being tarnished by the current charges. During the same period, Balunywa rendered distinguished public service as board member at Bank of Uganda among others.

Even after stepping down, Balunywa continued mentoring future leaders and advocating for national education reforms, including replacing outdated examinations with skills-based assessments suitable for the modern job market. He has also remained a respected scholar in the country and the region and has never used his clout within Uganda and globally to bad mouth Uganda or even the person of President YK Museveni anywhere.

He has been broad-minded and minded his business even when some of his Basoga co-ethnics felt he deserved to be treated better. He was herded out of the very MUBS he founded like chicken thief and was never allowed the privilege to properly hand over office. Many felt he deserved to become BoU governor with some ordinary Basogas speculating that the President had promised to give Balunywa that job after Tumusiime Muitebile.

Balunywa, who used to have great first family connections, was always calm and never tolerated anyone saying anything bad about the President and the ruling NRM party. He was a close relative of Kirunda Kivejinja and always had the ear of the President who liked him for being a reformer, until some bad-hearted power brokers came into the picture and bad mouthed him to amplify their agenda against Muslims.

The latest charges (which most likely is the first time this decent son of Busoga is being prosecuted) focus on just three administrative staff, yet online discussions reflect the growing frustration of the Basoga community. Many argue that even if Balunywa’s recruitment decisions were technically incorrect, they are minor compared to larger scandals elsewhere, such as the mismanagement of iron sheets in Karamoja, where serious offenders remain free.

Some have claimed that the current MUBS Principal (who was once mentored by Balunywa) could be the invisible hand instigating the charges, further fuelling the perception of an internal political attack.

Across social media, the Basoga are expressing outrage and threatening to mobilize if perceived injustices continue, underscoring the depth of regional dissatisfaction. And this is something that could politically complicate efforts to get Museveni back into the hearts of Busoga voters who unexpectedly rejected him in 2021 in favour of NUP’s Bobi Wine.

The rapidly growing outrage is rooted not only in Balunywa’s case but also in a historical pattern of sidelining Basoga leaders who have served the NRM loyally. Daudi Migereko, former State Minister for Energy and Mineral Development and ex-MP for Butembe County, played a pivotal role in the early 2000s to weaken opposition forces in Busoga. At a time when Salaam Musumba of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) posed a significant challenge to Musevenism, Migereko was deployed to neutralize her influence. And he delivered the job with extreme precision closely working with now RCC Richard Gulume Mulyaino.

Musumba, those days a very formidable opposition figure to the extent that she almost became the founding FDC President in 2005, had grown strong enough to challenge NRM dominance and caused real political anxiety for President Museveni. Migereko’s intervention, which involved strategic political mobilization and overseeing underground NRM operations in the region, was instrumental in paving the way for Asuman Kiyingi, who subsequently defeated Musumba in Bugabula County South in 2006.

Kiyingi’s victory removed a major opposition threat and reinforced NRM control over the populous sub region. Basoga community members remember Migereko and Kiyingi’s roles as acts of loyalty to the regime, yet today Migereko remains without a significant government deployment even when he is clearly much more capable than many of the dwarfs currently holding key government positions. His experience highlights what many perceive as systemic neglect of loyal Basoga leaders. Migereko is a solid son of Busoga with a lot of experience and connections that ought to have been leveraged to advance the cause of socio-economic transformation. Wherever he was deployed, Migereko did wonders including at the Trade Ministry and even that of Lands. He one time served as GCW and loyally served his NRM party and the President.

In 2016, Migereko was defeated in NRM primaries by Nelson Lufafa and this was attributed to the fact that he was always away doing the President’s assignments which overstretched and often kept him away from the constituency. Because he couldn’t match the high standards Migereko had set, Lufafa was rejected and thrown out by voters only 5 years later. In the end, that part of Jinja fell into the hands of the opposition who only Migereko had managed to keep at bay.

There was also a lady called Sarah Kulata who did a good job and served the President’s interests and that of the country for all the years she served as commissioner land registration at the lands ministry. She relentlessly stood up to thieves and land grabbers who were targeting public land but instead of being protected and rewarded by the President, State House looked the other side as she was being unfairly destroyed by Milton Obote’s daughter-in-law Betty Amongin. The ordinary Basoga felt alienated seeing the way their Sarah Kulata Basangwa was sacrificed, used and dumped for firmly standing up against land grabbers from other parts of Uganda.

Then came George Bamugemereire, that decently well learned and well travelled Musoga from Luuka. He had all the qualification, the experience and the right moral and ethical credentials to make an excellent IGG after Irene Mulyagonja. Basogas felt he deserved to be made IGG yet he was by-passed and consoled with an obscure ka position on the Makerere governing council and the job many felt he was qualified for was gifted to Betty Kamya who had spent decades demonizing the President and the Movement.

Mulyagonja was prevented from becoming a Supreme Court judge yet far less-deserving justices from other parts of Uganda have over the years been fast-tracked to the Supreme Court. Her stagnation at court of appeal is something that is angering many Basogas. Some Basogas feel that at minimum, Mulyagonja could make a good deputy chief justice if not the CJ but they believe she can’t get to that level because of where she comes from.

In the same Kyabazinga-land many are bitter with the President for doing nothing to shield Justice Esther Kisakye who was persecuted by the Judiciary leadership until she fled the country and went to live in exile. They see Kisakye’s bad ending as an act of conspiracy against Busoga. Closely related is the predicament faced by Justice Egonda Ntende, one of the best jurists Uganda has ever produced.

Ntende has served with distinction as an expatriate chief justice in several countries many of which have better developed judicial practices and reputation than Uganda. She is a top legal brain yet his efforts to get to beyond merely being a Court of Appeal judge have always ended in failure, a thing that is angering of his Basoga co-ethnics and will no doubt cost Gen Museveni some votes in 2021. How Dorothy Kisaka ended up losing her position as KCCA Executive Director, at the time she hadn’t doner anything wrong (except that she was merely betrayed by a central government which for decades refused to prioritize and fund Kiteezi decommissioning) is another injustice that is denting Gen Museveni’s re-election prospects as it’s angering many sons and daughters of the Kyabazinga.

Katukiro Dr. Joseph Muvawala’s failure to become a permanent secretary in a significant Ministry even after Gen Museveni had signalled the need to have him head one of the powerful docket, is something angering many Basogas and making them to feel unwanted inside the NRM. Despite being highly qualified and vastly experienced, Muvawala, a diehard Museveni supporter, has stagnated at merely being Executive Director for National Planning Authority even when it’s clear that his skills are needed elsewhere.

Many of Kyabazinga’s people feel their man has given a lot to the system including authoring Uganda’s NDPs and spearheading efforts to come up with evidence-based reforms and interventions aimed at making our education system more responsible yet he has seldom been adequately rewarded. When Mutebile departed and the governor position remained vacant for all those years, the Basogas believed their time had come to produce the next BoU Governor. And their candidates were either Balunywa or Muvawala but when time came both of them were by-passed and the two top BoU jobs were to Michael Atingi-Ego from Teso and Prof Augustus Nuwagaba from Kabale, Kigezi. This left many Basogas with an egg on their face.

Gen Museveni’s failure to convene a caucus meeting to shield and save his blue-eyed girl Parsis Namuganza who Parliament debated and voted out of Cabinet, also left many angry. The Basogas felt that Parsis had served Museveni with extreme loyalty and believed the H.E. ought to have vigorously to her rescue as opposed to allowing her to be humiliating by fortune-hunters in Parliament. It’s true, Museveni eventually disregarded Parliament and kept Namuganza in Cabinet but the censure proceedings caused great damage and dent. And then more recently during NRM primaries, Namuganza was left to be devoured by an obscure political figure without the powers that be coming to her rescue yet her loyalty and support for Museveni is legendary and well known.

Asuman Kiyingi, who benefited directly from Migereko’s mobilization work during Musumba’s hey days in the 2000s, initially served as Minister of State for Lands and later on Foreign Affairs (state). He was later on made state minister for Works yet in 2016, he was allowed to be defeated by Henry Maurice Kibalya, who came from opposition. As Makerere guild president, Kibalya was a diehard hater of the NRM yet he is the one members of the deep state fronted as a proxy to humiliate Kiyingi who took the risk on Museveni’s behalf to overcome the indomitable Salaam Musumba in 2006 in Bugabula South.

Kiyingi, who loyally served Gen Museveni and NRM party with his entire heart, now serves as vice chairman of the leadership code tribunal, a position many Basoga view as insufficient for someone of his experience and contributions, and far below the recognition his service arguably merited. He is deputizing a young lady lawyer called Roselyn Karugonjo.

The same Kiyingi has been doing interviewing for a judiciary job to become a judge and has been passing JSC interviews with flying colours only to be sabotaged by deep state members who resent him because of his religion and where he comes from.

Rebecca Kadaga (Mama Busoga), who served as Speaker of Parliament from 2011 to 2021, remains a focal point of Basoga frustration. After her tenure, she was succeeded by Jacobo Oulanyah, who passed away during his term, with Anita Among, Oulanyah’s deputy, subsequently assuming the Speaker role. Kadaga now serves as First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs. Basoga view her ongoing political struggle with Among for the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC) female vice chair position as emblematic of deliberate marginalization designed to weaken the region’s influence in top party leadership.

Many Basogas are wondering why Museveni doesn’t ring-fence the CEC position for her so that people don’t compete against her, as he used to do for Moses Kigongo and his 1st NRM vice chairman position.

Kadaga being deputy prime minister under Nabanja, who she mentored, is also seen by many Basogas as inappropriate treatment. The feeling is that she deserved being VP or Prime Minister, having previously held the number three position of Speakership.

Some Basogas have also never forgiven Museveni for bypassing their daughter Kasule Lumumba (though she has some roots in Samia-land). Their view is that from being SG, Kasule, another Museveni loyalist, ought to have served as VP or Prime Minister as opposed to putting her under Nabanja who she used to supervise as GCW. Those days Nabanja was treasurer for the NRM caucus in parliament as Lumumba served as the government chief whip. Today she holds the position of minister general duties at the OPM, which many Basogas take to be an obscure position way too low for someone who previously served as NRM Secretary General.

Online discussions suggest that Kadaga’s diminished role and the apparent pampering of her CEC adversaries is being interpreted as betrayal, provoking heated debates across social media and reinforcing the perception of a broader political targeting of Busoga leaders.

Hon. Persis Namuganza, State Minister for Lands representing Bukono County, was seen as a rising star expected to uphold Busoga’s influence after the departures of Kadaga, Lumumba, among others. However, she lost in the July 17 NRM primaries amid allegations that some of the newcomers who Gen Museveni favours had a hand in her political downfall. Namuganza openly supports Kadaga’s bid for NRM CEC leadership, warning that sidelining Kadaga would further erode Busoga’s voice in national politics and diminish regional representation at the highest levels.

Justine Kasule Lumumba, former NRM Secretary General, now serves as Minister of Stata in Charge of General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister. Once an influential figure overseeing party operations, she is now perceived as sidelined despite her experience and loyalty.

Abdu Katuntu, a long-serving legislator and highly respected lawyer representing Bugweri County, has been overlooked for top legal appointments, including Minister of Justice, despite widely recognized qualifications. These patterns are widely cited on social media as evidence that the NRM’s treatment of Basoga leaders is inconsistent and punitive.

Katuntu was the first to publicly fallout with Kizza Besigye in FDC and even gave media interviews criticizing the opposition’s leadership while praising Gen Museveni. This was risky moreover at a time the retired colonel was still selling like hot cake. Many in Busoga believed Katuntu would instantly be rewarded with the position of ministry of justice which was vacant for long. Instead, it was given to Muruuli Mukasa whose plate was already full as of that time since he was already the minister for public service.

When Muruuli was removed, Museveni went for Norbert Mao who remains DP president and he is always bashing the ruling NRM. Katuntu was left out yet many Basogas think he was better suited for that role than even Mao. Kiwanuka Kiryowa was made AG at a time many felt it was time for Katuntu.

Some Basogas thought Museveni would reciprocate Katuntu’s support by grooming and mentoring him for the position of chief justice or deputy because he has excellent understanding of the law. Yet what they are seeing now as the country counts down to Owiny Dollo’s January 2026 departure shows Katuntu will have to wait for longer than was originally imagined. Those being speculated to be Dollo’s successors so far include Mike Chibita and DCJ Flavian Zeija. Katuntu’s name hasn’t featured anywhere.

Specioza Wandira Kazibwe, Africa’s first female Vice President, now serves as presidential advisor on health and population without a formal office. Despite her decades of service, experience and sound mind, her current role is seen as diminishing her influence, a pattern Basoga interpret as systemic marginalization. Many of them don’t know where she sits and what she does in that role beyond just earning her monthly salary as senior presidential advisor.

The sidelining of such prominent figures, combined with the legal targeting of Balunywa, amplifies the perception that Busoga is being treated unfairly despite its loyalty and historical support of the NRM, according to some Basoga.

Many argue that even if Balunywa’s alleged recruitment offenses were committed, they are minor compared to larger mismanagement cases where perpetrators remain unpunished. The fact that Balunywa has never previously been involved in any scandal yet now faces potential imprisonment and public humiliation is widely interpreted as an attempt to undermine both his legacy and Busoga’s political standing.

Social media discussions across the region have seen Basoga citizens express outrage, debate strategies for defending their leaders and signal a readiness to mobilize to protect both Balunywa and other key figures from perceived political attacks.

The recent NRM primaries revealed deeper dissatisfaction, with several influential Basoga MPs losing their seats, sending a clear signal of discontent regarding regional representation and leadership recognition. Analysts warn that without remedial action, the NRM risks losing its long-standing support in Busoga, potentially impacting outcomes in the 2026 general elections.

For the Basoga community, the question remains that “after decades of loyalty, service, and sacrifice, what exactly did Busoga do to Museveni?” The targeting of Prof. Balunywa, while sidelining loyal leaders like Migereko, Kiyingi, Kadaga, Namuganza, Lumumba, Kisaka, Katuntu and Kazibwe, reinforces a perception of deliberate marginalization, according to them.

Social media is abuzz with calls for justice, emphasizing the community’s readiness to protect the legacies of its leaders and ensure fair treatment.

Many Basoga insist that dedication, service and competence should be rewarded rather than punished, emphasizing that the selective targeting of Balunywa and sidelining of other leaders sends a dangerous message to all public servants, that loyalty and competence are not guaranteed protection against future humiliation and political targeting.

The unfolding situation serves as a critical warning, that unless fair treatment and justice are ensured, the historical loyalty of Busoga to Museveni and the NRM may erode come 2026. The Basoga community members are clearly watching closely, expressing dissatisfaction on social media and signalling readiness to take collective action to defend the sub region’s leaders, dignity and influence in national politics.

Balunywa’s prosecution, along with the perceived marginalization of other key Basoga figures, threatens to weaken a region that has long been a political bedrock for the NRM, with the community’s reaction (already visible on social media and in online networks) demonstrating a willingness to hold leaders accountable for regional representation and to demand respect for those who have served the nation loyally