KAMPALA — The race for chairperson of Uganda’s National Women’s Council (NWC) is intensifying, with four candidates; Ann Ruyondo, Irene Adokorach, Kabakumba Matsiko and incumbent Hajjat Kimbowa Faridah, emerging as the key contenders in an increasingly competitive campaign.
The contest comes as Uganda moves through the 2026 Women Councils electoral cycle, which runs progressively from the village level to the national level. The Electoral Commission’s programme provides for elections of women councils and committees from the grassroots to the national leadership.
Unlike traditional campaigns dominated by physical mobilisation, the battle for the top NWC position is also playing out vigorously online, particularly across WhatsApp groups where supporters of the different candidates are campaigning, sharing profiles and making the case for why their preferred candidate should lead the national women’s organisation.
The NWC is a six-tier structure beginning at village level and extending through parish, sub-county, district and ultimately the national level. Its mandate includes organising and unifying Ugandan women and promoting their participation in social, political and economic development.
Four contenders, four pitches
Hajjat Kimbowa Faridah, the incumbent, enters the contest with the advantage of having already served at the helm of the council. Her supporters are expected to point to continuity, institutional experience and the work undertaken during her tenure as reasons for retaining her leadership.
The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development currently lists Kimbowa as chairperson of the National Women’s Council, alongside a national executive committee that includes Vice Chairperson Linda Auma and other representatives.
Her challengers, however, are seeking to turn the election into a contest about the future direction of the council, with their supporters highlighting the need for fresh leadership, stronger grassroots engagement and a more visible voice for women in national development.
Irene Adokorach is also bringing a political profile to the contest. She has previously been active in electoral politics and served as an Office of the NRM National Chairman coordinator in Kiryandongo.
Ann Ruyondo and Kabakumba Matsiko complete a four-way contest that has generated considerable interest among women leaders and their networks.
WhatsApp becomes a campaign battleground
The intensity of the campaign is particularly evident on WhatsApp, where supporters have created an informal digital campaign environment.
Messages endorsing candidates circulate rapidly, with supporters highlighting their candidates’ experience, leadership records, regional and grassroots connections and perceived ability to represent women nationally.
The digital campaign has also introduced a new dynamic into the NWC elections: supporters can reach delegates and influential women leaders directly, without necessarily relying on large physical rallies.
At the same time, the highly personalised nature of WhatsApp campaigning has raised the political temperature, with competing camps attempting to establish momentum and convince undecided delegates that their candidate represents the strongest option.
Why the race matters
The NWC is more than a ceremonial leadership structure. Government describes it as a mechanism through which women participate in decision-making and access opportunities and programmes aimed at social and economic development.
The chairperson therefore occupies a politically significant position at the apex of a nationwide structure that connects women leaders from the grassroots to the national level.
The Electoral Commission’s 2026 programme has already moved the women’s council elections into the higher tiers, with district and city-level processes beginning in August.
As the process moves towards the national leadership, the contest between Ruyondo, Adokorach, Matsiko and Kimbowa is shaping up as one of the more closely watched battles in Uganda’s women’s leadership politics.
For now, the campaign is being fought both on the ground and inside hundreds of WhatsApp conversations — with each camp seeking to demonstrate that its candidate has the organisation, experience and support needed to take charge of the National Women’s Council.
The final test, however, will not be the volume of WhatsApp messages. It will be whether each campaign can translate online enthusiasm into votes when the national electoral college eventually chooses its next chairperson.
