Ntungamo, Uganda – Angry protesters have taken to the streets of Ntungamo district, blocking major roads and chanting “We want her here!” as they demand answers about the whereabouts of Peace Rugambwa, the founder of the Boona Bageigahare group.
The demonstrators have issued an ultimatum, vowing to completely shun Uganda’s forthcoming elections unless authorities produce their missing community leader, unharmed and without further delay.
According to Sabiiti Steven Rwegyere of Rwahi and a co-founder of Boona Bageigahare, Peace Rugambwa was taken away after advocating for local farmers’ rights and has not been seen since.
He described her as the backbone of struggling families in the district, providing critical support to both farmers and small business owners.
“We want to meet our daughter Peace Rugambwa, whether alive or dead. Many families depended on her for food, and now they are suffering. The onion growers she supported can no longer access affordable seeds, and businesses are collapsing without her help,” Sabiiti stated.
The mysterious disappearance has dealt a crippling blow to Ntungamo’s agricultural sector, with onion farmer Mugarura Jimmy revealing how Rugambwa’s sudden absence has left their once-thriving farms in ruins and livelihoods hanging by a thread.
“Before Peace was taken from us, she provided our community with premium onion seeds at fair prices seeds that gave us hope and fed our families. Now look at us! Our fields lie barren, our children go hungry, and each day is a struggle just to keep alive without her support,” Jimmy said.
Small business owners like Atuheire Faridah, who runs a local hotel, and Kamugisha Edison, a boda-boda rider, have confirmed that their enterprises have been struggling since Rugambwa vanished.
The crisis stems from Rugambwa’s November 2024 letter to President Yoweri Museveni highlighting economic challenges facing the region’s farmers.
While Museveni acknowledged her concerns in his response and cautioned against hasty actions using the term “okutomera,” promising to address the issues in a January 2025 meeting with Major-General (Rtd) Muhwezi, residents now believe Rugambwa is being punished for her advocacy.
With authorities remaining silent about Rugambwa’s disappearance, protests have escalated as residents threaten to boycott elections unless she is returned.
The standoff continues as the community waits for answers, their livelihoods hanging in the balance while the government maintains its silence on the matter.
