Sheba Muloni Enters Race for National Women Council Vice Chairperson

KAMPALA: Sheba Nagudi Muloni from Bulambuli District has officially entered the race for Vice Chairperson of the National Women Council, pledging to champion women’s economic empowerment, strengthen representation and nurture a new generation of female leaders across Uganda.

Muloni, the daughter of former Energy and Minerals Minister and former Bulambuli Woman Member of Parliament Irene Nafuna Muloni, says her candidature is driven by the need to transform the National Women Council into a stronger institution capable of responding to the economic, social and leadership challenges facing Ugandan women.

Her campaign is anchored on the theme of “restructure, rebuild and reignite” the National Women Council, with particular emphasis on expanding economic opportunities, strengthening women’s voices in decision-making and developing leadership capacity among young women.

According to Muloni, although women have increasingly become central to Uganda’s social and economic development, many continue to face barriers in accessing capital, markets, enterprise development opportunities and meaningful participation in leadership.

“Women have been celebrated in meetings and forgotten in budgets,” Muloni said, calling for stronger institutional support for women’s savings groups, enterprises and cooperatives.

She argues that women’s economic empowerment should move beyond meetings and policy statements to practical interventions that enable women to establish sustainable businesses, access affordable financing and connect to reliable markets.

Women Enterprise and SACCO Hubs

One of the major proposals in Muloni’s manifesto is the establishment of Women Enterprise and SACCO Hubs across the country.

She envisions the hubs as centres through which women can access financial services, enterprise development support, markets and other economic opportunities.

The proposed hubs would be linked to existing government programmes, including the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga, while also creating partnerships with the private sector.

Muloni says such an approach would enable women to benefit from existing government financing and economic empowerment programmes while receiving additional support to turn their enterprises into sustainable businesses.

Her proposal targets women at different levels of economic activity, ranging from small-scale traders and farmers to women running established enterprises and larger manufacturing businesses.

She says stronger coordination between women’s groups, government programmes and private-sector actors could help address some of the challenges that have limited the impact of women-focused economic initiatives.

Fighting Gender-Based Violence

Beyond economic empowerment, Muloni has pledged to advocate for stronger measures against gender-based violence and policies that protect women’s rights, safety and dignity.

She says women cannot fully participate in economic and political development if they continue to face violence and other forms of discrimination.

Her campaign therefore seeks to place the protection of women’s rights alongside economic empowerment and leadership development as key priorities for the National Women Council.

Preparing One Million Young Women for Leadership

Leadership development is another major pillar of Muloni’s campaign.

She proposes the establishment of mentorship programmes aimed at preparing one million young women for leadership by 2031. 

The proposed initiative would seek to identify, mentor and equip young women with leadership skills while creating pathways for them to participate in decision-making structures from the grassroots to district and national levels.

Muloni says Uganda needs to deliberately prepare young women for leadership rather than waiting for them to emerge into leadership positions without adequate mentorship or institutional support.

She believes mentorship can help bridge the gap between women at grassroots level and higher levels of political and civic leadership.

One Council, One Agenda

Muloni has also made unity within the National Women Council a central part of her campaign.

She says the Council should remain focused on service delivery and representation of women instead of being weakened by internal divisions. 

“From Kampala to Karamoja, from Busoga to Bunyoro, there should be one council and one agenda - the Ugandan woman first,” she said.

Her message seeks to position the National Women Council as a unifying platform for women across Uganda, regardless of their geographical location or economic background.

She argues that the Council must ensure that the concerns of women in rural communities receive the same attention as those of women in urban areas.

A New Leadership Agenda

Muloni says her candidature is built around three broad priorities: economic empowerment, protection of women’s rights and leadership development.

She is calling on women leaders, development partners, government institutions, private-sector players and other stakeholders to support initiatives designed to expand economic opportunities and increase women’s participation in leadership.

According to her, empowering women economically should go hand in hand with strengthening their ability to participate in decision-making and influence policies that affect their lives.

“Women deserve leaders who listen to them, represent them and help turn their aspirations into opportunities,” Muloni said.

Her entry into the National Women Council vice chairperson race adds another voice to the ongoing conversation about the future direction of women’s leadership and representation in Uganda.

Muloni is now seeking the support of women leaders and the wider electorate within the National Women Council structures as she campaigns for the position.

Her campaign slogan is: “Power to the woman. Prosperity to the nation.”