How much money have you ‘eaten’ in stamps since you took office?
Hahaha! ‘Eaten?’ When I came into leadership, I told people I would not eat their money. So, we opened a bank account for the village and we have a village finance manager who manages the accounts and we audit them every quarter.
I only sign requisitions and approve expenditure. Sinalya ku sente ye kyalo, but I get a chairman’s allowance.
How do people in Bamutakude greet you now that you have made them famous?
Hahaha! They even did a song for me. Waking up and having Mzee Lwanga give you lumonde and ka chai is amazing.
Seriously though, wewumuzako di?
Omanyi, when I came into power, I thought that if we brought corporate governance systems to village level, we could achieve the vision we have for the community. My committee developed a five-year strategic plan with annual work plans, and every month we assess whether we are meeting our targets and where we are falling short. We also have five eminent elders who keep us accountable. My job as CEO is to mobilise resources and create partnerships. I have pressure to deliver because I promised the people, so I have to move fast because ka pressure kanji!
At this rate, can we say you are about to give every villager a uniform?
Hahaha! No, no, no. The uniforms are for some of the entities we are setting up, for example we are establishing Bamutakude Catering Services, which will create jobs for women in the community.
Bamutakude. Let’s unpack that. Who kutakulad who to inspire this village’s name?
According to the elders, there was an elder in this village who was attacked and badly scratched by a leopard. When people were asked about his condition, they would say, ‘Omutaka gyali eyo, bamutakuude, naye teyafuude.’ Plot 1 of Bamutakude is where that elder lived.
How much is a 50×100 if we want to secure a future in your ka village? Oba you are not taking in fresh villagers?
Etaaka lyalinye since I took office. A 50×100 plot of titled land used to cost around Shs18m, but it is now about Shs25m because so many property masters have descended on the village. And prices are still going up.
Have you started receiving offers to go and run other villages?
Yes, from neighbouring villages. But what I do is invite my fellow chairmen because we are separated only by invisible borders. We are not islands. We meet, strategise and plan together because we are one people and should work together.
From your career experience now, who is easier to manage: an angry source or an angry villager?
Muganda wange, a source is easier. Villagers balalamu ko because you live on the same village. I have dealt with sources who have walked off sets and even threatened to kill me, but those are usually empty threats. If I have the evidence, you just need to calm down and answer my questions.
With villagers, it is different because you live with them. Someone can stand outside your house and yell at you every morning. You need patience with villagers.
Be honest, how much do you secretly enjoy being called Chayimani?
I am so happy and I believe I have found my purpose. I did journalism for about 15 years and I think I was one of the most decorated journalists of our time. Then I started the institute, which also did well, and I got some satisfaction from that. But I have never experienced the kind of satisfaction I get from serving the community. It is different. It is heartwarming to impact people’s lives firsthand. I made one call and NIRA came to register people for IDs. You should have seen the smiles on their faces. Another call and UEDCL came to work on electricity connectivity. Now I am getting sponsorships and people giving back to the community. Journalism gives you satisfaction when you do a story and things change. But this is really heartwarming because you get to see the impact firsthand.
What village rumour about yourself have you started hearing ku kyalo?
‘Ssentebe atutwala speed.’ I take the community cleaning drives very seriously. Every Saturday, I wake up at 6am, sound the drum and everyone has to get up and participate. At the end of the day, they appreciate it because we are keeping the community clean together.
We heard mbu you guys are planning to bring 50 Cent, or was it Beyoncé, to launch some village project. Bitufu?
Naye mukama! We have not got there yet. Hahaha!
Which celebrity would match Bamutakude energy and instantly get you a free pass in the next election?
I have someone in mind, but he is not your usual celebrity. Prof. Moses Mulumba. He has anchored his celebrity in community service. He has built a community school where parents can pay school fees with food. A parent can bring, say 100kg of maize as their ‘school fees.’ He has also set up a hospital where mothers can give birth for just Shs10,000. If I told the community that we would implement his blueprint and work with him to support the village, I would certainly get another term.
Who would cause the most chaos as a Bamutakude resident: Bobi Wine, Gravity, Alien Skin or Betty Nambooze?
Definitely the Ghetto President, Bobi Wine. He resonates very well with the youth.
Have you ever interviewed someone and thought, ‘This person is absolutely finished,’ before the interview even began?
I do a show called The Hard Questions. There have been times when I have done my research beforehand, gathered all my evidence and thought, ‘Haa, ono tampoona!’
Which person have you met and they completely intimidated you?
Two. Every time I am going to interview Andrew Mwenda, I have sleepless nights because I have to research deeply, get my facts right and anchor myself in history. I go into night prep mode. The other is former Foreign Affairs Minister Okello Oryem. He is a good guy, but he can beat you at your own game if you are not careful.
What is one thing about being chairman that makes you feel important?
The fact that you have a direct impact on people.
Are you better at borrowing money or paying back debts?
Sometimes, newola ne ku MTN muganda wange. You can wake up without that ka fuel money and need a bailout. But I am also good at paying back. These people who say, ‘Toteeka ku MTN, bammanja,’ I deposit on that exact line so you can learn to pay your debts.
Which version of you brings you more joy lately: Journalist Solomon or Chairman Solomon?
That is a hard one. I love journalism. I have done it for the last 15 years, so that speaks to my love affair with it. The chairman role is not a job, it is service. I still practice journalism. But lately, the pendulum is heavily swinging towards Chairman Solomon.
Which is more dangerous: a microphone in the hands of a journalist or a WhatsApp group in the hands of villagers?
A microphone in the hands of a journalist. With a WhatsApp group, you can diffuse things to some extent or even shut the group down. But a microphone in the hands of an unresearched journalist can set a country ablaze. We have a responsibility to speak truth without fear or favour, but that truth must be anchored in research.
What is your end goal in all this? Obaza ka ki, Solomon?
Silina kyembaza, nvaako. I get asked this question a lot lately naye nkolela kyaalo. I am just an LC1 chairman.
What is one question you were hoping I would not ask during this interview?
‘How has this new role affected your family?’ Of course, it has had an impact. I am busier because I now have to divide time between my family and the village. So, yeah!