Broken promises

How a Museveni-endorsed Onion project turned into a Shs500 million scandal in Rukungiri

Rukungiri, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | In a heartbreaking twist, the residents of Rukungiri District have watched their dreams of a better life vanish, as an onion project endorsed by President Museveni turned into a devastating loss of Shs500 million.

Back in 2018, at Nyakagyeme Grounds, President Museveni introduced a young woman named Peace Rugambwa, a native of Ntungamo. Rugambwa presented herself as a solution to poverty, promising that onion farming could uplift the people of Rukungiri.

She cited the region’s fertile soil, strong local and international onion markets, and the steady demand for onions.

The President, deeply committed to the fight against poverty, gave her Shs50 million to kickstart the project. His trust in Rugambwa, coupled with his own promise to alleviate poverty, led the people to embrace her with open hearts and high hopes.

In the beginning, a handful of farmers, eager to escape the grip of poverty, ventured into onion farming.

Sadly, the results did not live up to expectations. The onion yields were nowhere near the grand promises, leaving farmers disillusioned.

They watched helplessly as their investments withered, and the crop they hoped would transform their lives left them worse off.

Farmers abandon onion for other crops

Many abandoned the onions and returned to growing beans, cassava, potatoes, and other familiar crops.

“When we planted the onions, we did not get the harvests Rugambwa and her team had promised,” said Loyce Natukunda, a resident of Bwambara Sub County. “Now, most of us have gone back to what we know.”

However, rather than focusing on onion farming, Rugambwa deviated and began to expand her promises. She launched an informal association, Boona Bageigahare Nyekundire Group, and assured residents they could receive items like coffee seedlings, piglets, goats, cows, poultry, mattresses, and bedsheets — if they paid a Shs12,000 membership fee.

The hope that came with Rugambwa’s assurances was contagious. People joined in droves, scraping together what little they had to pay for the promised benefits.

Over 40,000 residents in Rukungiri handed over their hard-earned money, with dreams of better living conditions, animals, and support that would lighten their burdens.

Yet, as the days turned to months and years, they began to realize that these promises were hollow.

“We paid Shs12,000 and submitted our names to receive mattresses, piglets, and coffee,” said Ninsima Asaph from Kebisoni, “but to this day, we haven’t received anything or even heard from her.”

As the years passed, residents’ hope turned to heartbreak. They watched loved ones, many elderly, pass away without receiving the promised benefits.

Anger and despair simmered across the district. John Natumanya, a senior citizen from Bwanda in Buyanja-Rubabo County, reflected on the community’s frustration: “We reached a point where we vowed to arrest Rugambwa if she ever set foot in Rukungiri again. Her actions have been nothing but deceitful.”

Full-blown crisis

In 2023, the betrayal boiled over into a full-blown crisis. Anguish swept through the district as it emerged that Rugambwa had collected a staggering Shs500 million from the people, allegedly depositing it into her bank accounts.

“To discover that our hard-earned money was going to her bank accounts was heartbreaking,” said Bernard Gumisiriza, a mobilizer for Boona Bageigahare Nyekundire in Buhunga Sub County.

The gravity of the situation caught the attention of Security Minister and Rujumbura MP, Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi. Shocked by what he uncovered, he brought the matter to the President. “This wasn’t just about Rukungiri; the entire Kigezi region had been affected,” Muhwezi said.

After an investigation, the President summoned Rugambwa and Rukungiri leaders to Nakasero State House. He listened as one community leader after another exposed how Rugambwa had collected Shs12,000 from more than 166,000 people (including the 40, 000 from Rukungiri).

The President, visibly disturbed, made his stance clear: “The government does not solicit money from citizens,” he said according to sources that attended the meeting. He issued four critical directives to remedy the harm.

First, he instructed Rugambwa to abandon her deceptive promises and return to the original onion farming plan if she still believed it could benefit the people.

Second, he ordered her to work directly with the Rukungiri district leaders at every level of her project.

In a generous third directive, the President pledged to refund Shs12,000 to each affected resident in Rukungiri District.

Finally, he appointed Muhwezi to lead a reconciliation process to restore unity and trust.

In July 2024, Muhwezi organized a reconciliation meeting at the Rukungiri District Headquarters. It was supposed to be a turning point. Yet, in a move that shocked those present, Rugambwa denied the President’s promise to refund the residents’ money. “The President did not offer to refund money,” she claimed, then stormed out of the meeting.

In the following weeks, Rugambwa continued to defy directives. In October this year, she appeared on Boona FM, inviting residents to pick up their promised items at Rukungiri Stadium, without informing the district leaders.

When leaders challenged her to show a single storage facility in Rukungiri holding these items, they found none. Local leaders, including RDC Stephen Nsubuga, accused her of allegedly fueling chaos and misleading residents to gain sympathy from the President. “Rugambwa’s actions are just intended to stir commotion and draw attention,” said LC5 Chairman Geoffrey Kyomukama.

The crisis has strained the very fabric of the Rukungiri community. What was once a hopeful project has left residents mourning lost investments and broken promises.

Long-time allies of Rugambwa within Boona Bageigahare, including founding member Julius Kahigyiriza, have now demanded that she respect the President’s directives or never return to Rukungiri.

Her vice-chair, Moses Rwakacaka, publicly confirmed that the President had indeed promised refunds, directly contradicting her claims.

The disillusionment runs deep. “Rugambwa has taken so much from the poor,” said Paul Mubangyizi, a group leader, “and now she’s trying to use Hon. Muhwezi as a scapegoat for her deception.” Adding to the tension, reports have surfaced that Rugambwa is now collecting National Identity Cards from elderly residents in Buhunga Sub County. Boona Bageigahare leaders believe this is yet another ploy.

The people of Rukungiri are left with broken promises and a community struggling to heal from betrayal. Their trust was shattered, but the district is resolved to rebuild. Residents hope that, with the President’s intervention and the ongoing commitment of district leaders, they might one day see the justice they so desperately seek.