Editor
Bushenyi District is all set to celebrate its 50th Anniversary on Friday, with President Yoweri Museveni expected to be the chief guest. The event will highlight the district’s significant achievements and advancements since its establishment in 1974, showcasing the substantial growth and development over the past five decades.
Originally carved out of Mbarara in 1974, Bushenyi has evolved into a vibrant hub of progress. The celebrations, themed ‘Celebrating 50 Years of Shared Prosperity,’ will honor 40 individuals across various categories for their contributions to the district’s transformation. The main event will take place at Bushenyi District’s main stadium in Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality.
Dr. Innocent Muramuzi, chairman of the organizing committee under the Make Bushenyi Great Again initiative, expressed that there is much to celebrate for the people of Bushenyi. Mr. Jaffari Bassajjabalaba, Bushenyi District Chairman, emphasized that the celebrations aim to mobilize and rally residents, leaders, and stakeholders to sustain development through education and poverty eradication programs.
Hajji Suleiman Byekwaso, an elder who has witnessed Bushenyi’s growth since 1974, reflected that the district could have achieved even greater development if not for the disruptions caused by former President Idi Amin’s regime. Byekwaso highlighted the district’s fertile land, which has been a key factor in its growth by enabling families to grow their food.
Initially called West Ankole District, Bushenyi was created in 1974 from greater Mbarara. In 1993, Rushenyi and Kajaara counties were separated to form the current Ntungamo District, leaving Bushenyi with five counties: Igara, Mitooma, Ruhinda, Buhweju, and Bunyaruguru. In 2010, Bushenyi District was further divided, with each of the five counties becoming its district, resulting in the creation of Mitooma, Buhweju, Rubirizi, Sheema, and the main Bushenyi District.
Today, Bushenyi District comprises seventy sub-counties, including the two town councils of Kyamuhanga and Rwentuha, fifty-six parishes, and five hundred seventy-one villages.
