pressug.com News 24 7
Related Articles
Viewers: 90,001
By Andrew Irumba
Fort Portal has entered a new political chapter following the official swearing-in of Joram Bintamanya, popularly known as Omukono Gwe’kyoma, as Mayor of Central Division.
The colourful ceremony, held on Monday at Boma Grounds, attracted thousands of jubilant residents from across the Tooro sub-region who turned up to witness what many described as a historic transfer of power from traditional patronage politics to a new era of grassroots-driven leadership.
For Bintamanya, the event was more than a constitutional requirement. It was a celebration of a political revolution financed, mobilised, and defended by ordinary citizens.
“This was never my function alone,” Bintamanya told TheSpy Uganda. “The people of Tooro funded this journey, campaigned for me, voted me, and protected their vote. Today’s swearing-in belongs to them.”
Bintamanya’s rise to office has captured national attention because of his unconventional approach to politics. Unlike many candidates who spend heavily to buy votes, he challenged voters to financially invest in his campaign.
According to him, this model creates a direct social contract between leaders and citizens, eliminating the need for elected officials to recover campaign expenditures after assuming office.
Before entering elective politics, Bintamanya established himself as one of Tooro’s most vocal activists, particularly on issues of land justice and social inequality.
He gained prominence during disputes involving the Tooro Kingdom, where he fiercely opposed contested evictions affecting vulnerable residents. In some of these battles, he openly criticised actions associated with the Queen Mother, Best Kemigisa.
Now officially in office, Bintamanya faces the critical task of translating activist energy into effective governance.
Residents expect improvements in sanitation, road maintenance, urban planning, youth employment, and public accountability. Political analysts will closely monitor whether his grassroots model can deliver practical results while maintaining the public trust that propelled him into office.
His administration is widely viewed as a test case for whether citizen-funded politics can sustainably challenge Uganda’s entrenched patronage systems.
As celebrations continue in Fort Portal, one message dominates the city he proudly says inspired Uganda’s “Pearl of Africa” identity: a new political equation has begun.
, https://www.spyuganda.com/just-in-tooros-political-firebrand-bintamanya-sworn-in-as-fort-portal-mayor/
