A journey through Sheema: Lessons on Enterprise, Export Growth, Leadership, & the Future of Uganda

Sheema district, a land of rolling green hills and an industrious people, with a history of the kingdoms of Ankore, raids from Bunyoro under Omukama Kabalega and Basongora kings of the Rwenzori area,  holds one of the highest levels of education in Uganda. One of the early reformers of the area was Engaanzi (PM) of Nkore, Nuwa Mbaguta who hailed from Kitagata and left many of his acolytes from the regions of Enganzis. These were Mr. Kamugungunu, Mr. Kahigiriza and many other early educators and writers such as Katate came from here, triggering an avalanche of early focus on education in the area. In Sheema With secondary school intakes averaging 1,200 students, its leadership is committed to increasing the value of coffee, bananas, tea, and dairy products. In this setting, we gathered at Bugongi Hall, engaging district leaders in a day of teaching focused on the four stages of economic transformation: from primary production to secondary processing, to services as the foundation of a knowledge economy.

 

I extend my gratitude to Prof. Kamuntu, whose dedication to organizing production in Sheema is setting a precedent for value addition and potential exports. The engagement with the audience, particularly our skit on teamwork and keeping together as leaders, left an impact. The reactions reflected a conviction to build a better platform for change—one that our districts’ party leaders need to embrace fully.

 

Education as a Pillar of Progress

In 1984, I first heard about a nearby school, Ryakasinga, while I was studying at Bujaga Secondary School in the sub-county of Ndeija. Our schools debated each other regularly, fostering a spirit of intellectual engagement. To witness the transformation today—the growing student numbers, modern infrastructure, and the disciplined welcome we received—was a poignant reminder of my rural secondary school years. I commend Headteacher Mr. Rushegyera, a former student council leader in the 1990s when I served as the student body speaker, for his unwavering dedication at Ryakasinga CHE.

 

Later in the evening, at St. Charles Lwanga Kashekuro, we discussed the choices young people must make in a country with many unmet needs. Our conversations underscored the need for responsibility in school as the bedrock for a productive workforce in the future.

 

Restoring Quality and Discipline in Agriculture

One of Sheema’s greatest strengths lies in its agricultural potential, but it faces pressing challenges that require interventions in learning new skills, provision of fertilizers, enforcement of discipline at the primary production level to get quality output, and better knowledge of markets and aggregation. To restore better pricing for our tea, we must enforce discipline at both the farm and factory levels. Why should factories buy mixed-up leaves, too old to produce quality tea, and all our efforts are eaten up by the competition? This is a matter of regulation and enforcement, and we will work with farmer associations and processors to reclaim what has been lost. Local leadership on enforcement will be key for we cannot get a market for example of black tea in Ghana and Nigeria (almost USD500m) and people are here playing with quality standards and enforcement measures. We have some export credit funding facilities now to help those who qualify but quality is hitting our country so bad all around. We are losing good deals in the UK on fruits and vegetables over the same matter.

Shuuku SACCO is a shining example of how financial institutions should operate within local communities. Their disciplined approach to savings, their impressive loan book that shows more than 70% of assets are loaned out, and good leadership is something Uganda as a whole must learn from. I had the privilege of reviewing their books, and few SACCOs match their level of organization and accountability.

Harnessing Natural Resources for Growth

In Shuuku, the sight of River Kyarweera, originating from the hills of Buhweju and flowing into River Rwizi, provided an important lesson on irrigation potential. The landscape of Sheema, with its hills rising over 1,000 meters, presents an ideal opportunity to test gravity-fed irrigation systems for coffee and banana plantations. And there are many locations for these kinds of irrigation schemes in Uganda especially in the neighborhood of Rukungiri where rivers Kahengye, Mineera, Mitaano, and Rubabo – all flow into the lower lands where we can get good crops irrigated. This is an avenue we must explore for sustainable agricultural productivity.

Strategic Insights for Future Engagements

Our visit to Sheema reinforced the importance of preparation, attentiveness, and data collection in all PACEID engagements. It is not enough to attend meetings; we must leave with actionable insights that drive enterprise and export growth for our country. Sheema has shown us that change is possible with discipline, organization, and a clear vision. While we cannot make claims to change people, for God is the one that changes a human being, we can help our people through good teaching, to make them better equipped to perform in a changing world. We can help them adapt and compete in the market and gain income for their families. Let’s ensure that our next steps turn these lessons into tangible growth for Uganda’s export economy.

As we plan our next engagements in Kazo, Kiruhura, and Kalungu, our focus must remain on economic transformation through exports, mentorship, and leadership development. Prof. Kamuntu’s remark that AI might mean a slip of the tongue or deliberate Artificial Insemination is a reminder that bridging generational knowledge gaps is critical. That bridge—between old and new leadership, between policy and practice—is what PACEID represents.