PROFILE: Who is Micheal Katungi, Seen as Hope for Butemba County?

Aspiring Butembo County MP Michael Katungi (NRM)

Kyankwanzi – Stakeholders of Butemba County in Kyankwanzi District NRM have vowed to support Mpeirwe Micheal Katungi for Member of Parliament come 2021.

Many people attribute Butemba County’s impede to poor leadership and unfulfilled promises and as the district gears up for next year’s polls, voters have claimed support for Katungi arguing that he will be their voice in their war to make Kyakwanzi a promised land.

“I think Katungi is the only one with a clear message and seems to understand the struggles of the common person in Kyankwanzi. We have been voting for leaders but they seem to have forgotten us when they reached Kampala,”said one of the elders.

Katungi told Red pepper that through his bottom to up approach, he is determined to change Butemba and his focus is geared towards promoting household income, Education, agriculture and animal industry, clean water, sanitation and climate.

‘’Butemba is going to change because we shall come up with financial and technical support to development groups as a way boosting income generating activities and creating more employment opportunities through Government programs and my network with Development partners. Butemba will change through supporting entrepreneurs and increase youth employment by organizing skilling and vocation training programs in various cottage industries’’, he added.

Katungi vowed to improve education by lobbying and working with the Government to construct and renovate school structures, ensure availability of teachers; as well as linking students to scholarship opportunities to further their education.

‘’I will expedite the extension of the piped water system throughout all the urban centers and increasing public water points in the neighboring rural communities’’, added Katungi.

Katungi’s professional life and career in the last two decades, rotates around world class expertise and competencies in various areas including Diplomatic Affairs, Continental and Regional Security and Military obligation.

His postings among others include; being Deputy Head of Mission at the Uganda High Commission in Abuja-Nigeria , Head of Investigations, NRM National Chairman’s office 2015-2017), Security Logistics Officer at the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Acting Head of Security and Safety Division at the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Security Officer at the East African Community in Arusha, Tanzania.

He also worked as Deputy Head, Regional Department at the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), UPDF and Command and Combat Duty, in various echelons of the UPDF.

The Benevolent former security boss worked on several International and regional investigative Commissions, delving into; The Presidential Helicopter Crash that claimed the life of Gen. John Garang de Mabior, Human Rights in South Sudan (AU Commission under Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo), and Member of Uganda South Sudan Peace Support Team among other responsibilities.

Katungi’s education has been varied, extensive and comprehensive – in his chosen fields of study and training and to many he is an icon for Butemba .

In 2000, Katungi Graduated from Makerere University with a B.A. (Arts) in Political Science & History. In 2001 he completed his Officer Cadet Course at the School of Infantry in Jinja. He later joined George Marshall European Institute of Security Studies in Germany, where he graduated with a Postgraduate Diploma in Terrorism & Security Studies.

He holds MBA (International Business) from the Amity University in Uttar Pradesh, India, Diplomacy Course for African Diplomats – Foreign Affairs University in Beijing, China, Diploma in IT at the Amity University in Uttar Pradesh, India, Masters in International Studies (M.A-IS) University of Nairobi, Kenya obtained in 2019, he trained in National Security and Strategy course at the National Defence College in Karen, Kenya.

This month, Katungi will graduate with a PhD in Area and Global Studies (Peace & Security in Africa), from the Institute of Security Studies in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Leipzig University – Germany

He has been meeting stakeholders under the guidelines of MOH and Presidential Directives and the masks donated to communities have been distributed after consultations from the relevant authorities, a model that other leaders should adopt to stem out the pandemic in the country.

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Other Items donated include among others hoes, Bursaries and funds to development groups in Butemba.