Masaka: A public servant from Kyanamukaka in Greater Masaka is pushing a people-centred approach to leadership, arguing that public service should be measured by its impact on communities rather than by titles, political positions or election seasons.
Oscar Fransisco Mutebi, a Private Secretary at State House and Personal Assistant to the Office of the Presidential Envoy on Political Affairs, Rt. Hon. Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi, says leaders must remain connected to ordinary citizens and help identify practical solutions to challenges facing communities.
“For me, it is better to deliver services to people than to walk the grapevine of politics,” Mutebi says. “It is through serving people that you create a good identity.”
His community engagements in Greater Masaka have included support for youth sports, education and agricultural initiatives, activities he says are intended to give young people and rural communities greater opportunities.
Sports as a platform for youth
At the Buddu County Arena playground, young footballers have benefited from sports kits and other assistance extended to the Buddu County Team under the leadership of Jude Muleke.
For Mutebi, the intervention goes beyond football.
“Young people have talent, but talent needs support. When you give young people opportunities, you give society a better future,” he says.
He believes sports can help young people develop discipline, confidence and leadership skills while providing a platform for discovering talent that might otherwise remain hidden in rural communities.
Technology enters the classroom
His community initiatives have also extended to schools.
At St. Mugaga Secondary School in Greater Masaka, a flat-screen television donated to the school became a tool through which students could follow major international events and broaden their understanding of the world.
Students from St. Mugaga Secondary School and Molly and Paul Schools gathered at the school to watch FIFA World Cup matches ahead of the final between Spain and Argentina.
But Mutebi says the purpose of technology should go beyond entertainment.
“Technology should not only be used for entertainment. It should help young people understand the world around them,” he says.
He encouraged students to follow current affairs, read widely and use technology to acquire knowledge.
“A well-informed learner becomes a responsible citizen,” he adds.
For Deo Ssembatya, the head prefect at St. Mugaga Secondary School, the experience demonstrated how technology could make students feel connected to events beyond their immediate environment.
“I had watched World Cup games on small phones before, but seeing the players on a big screen at school made me feel part of the global tournament,” Ssembatya says.
He said Mutebi’s message also encouraged students to understand that education extends beyond classroom examinations.
Turning agriculture into opportunity
Mutebi has also encouraged communities in Greater Masaka to embrace commercial agriculture as a pathway to household income.
Coffee production, in particular, remains central to the economic aspirations of many farming families in the region.
“When you empower a family, you empower a community. When you empower communities, you strengthen the country,” Mutebi says.
The message reflects his wider argument that development must begin at the household and community level.
From politics to service
Mutebi’s activities have also included grassroots mobilisation and engagement with local leaders.
During the recent political period, he worked alongside local leaders, including Kyanamukaka Town Council Mayor Zainab Nakidde, in community activities.
But he argues that political mobilisation should not be the end of a leader’s responsibility.
“Politics comes and goes, but service remains. The most important thing is whether people’s lives are improving,” he says.
His philosophy is now being linked to a proposed programme aimed at strengthening grassroots engagement, development communication, youth empowerment and public awareness of government programmes in Greater Masaka and beyond.
The proposed programme would focus on community dialogues, youth initiatives, documentation of development projects, digital communication and stronger links between leaders and citizens.
Leadership begins with people
For Mutebi, the central question of leadership is not how powerful an office is, but what difference that office makes in people’s lives.
“Leadership is about understanding people’s challenges and looking for solutions,” he says.
That philosophy is reflected in the initiatives around him—from football pitches to classrooms and farms.
In Kyanamukaka and the wider Greater Masaka area, the argument is increasingly straightforward: young people need opportunities, learners need exposure, farmers need support and communities need leaders who listen.
And for Mutebi, that is what public service should ultimately deliver.
“Leadership begins with humanity.”
