Tukamushaba Jolly Jacklyn, an accountant by profession, hails from Kigara B Village in Kamwezi Sub county, Rukiga District. Her academic journey began at Kamwezi Primary School, continued through St. Theresa S.S.S, and led her to National Teachers College Kabale where she earned a Diploma in Business Education.
She later obtained a Bachelor of Commerce from Makerere University and capped her education with a Master of Business Administration from Uganda Martyrs University, Nkozi.
Today, she serves as the Deputy President of the National Unity Platform (NUP) in charge of Western Uganda, succeeding the late Jolly Mugisha (RIP).
By character and background, the two women are notably different. While Mugisha was known for her bold activism, dating back to her time as the Gender Officer for Mbarara District, Tukamushaba has only recently begun navigating the complex political terrain of Western Uganda a region largely dominated by the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
Very little was known about Tukamushaba in political circles until 2021, when she was abducted and held for several months in military detention.
“That experience awakened me politically,” she recalls. “It made me realize that advocacy doesn’t come on a silver platter. I used to think that being a law-abiding citizen would protect me from such things but I was wrong.”
Her time in detention became a turning point. “Interacting with fellow prisoners, some of whom were soldiers, made me see the need to contribute meaningfully to this country,” she adds.
Now aspiring to be the Woman Member of Parliament for Rukiga District, her influence and connections are growing steadily across the Kigezi sub-region.
“I’m here to give politics a Christian and civil society touch,” says Tukamushaba, whose values have been shaped by Christian schools and humanitarian organizations she has worked with.
Her career in the nonprofit world, particularly with organizations like World Vision and Community Efforts for Child Empowerment (CECE), reinforced her compassion and commitment to the underprivileged.
Through these roles, she has often engaged in citizen-led advocacy to improve service delivery.
These experiences exposed her firsthand to human rights abuses, political persecution, and the harsh realities of youth unemployment challenges she now seeks to address through political action.
Education and service have been consistent themes in her life. She taught at Kamwezi High School and Bwizibwera Tropical Academy before serving as a Financial Accountant with World Vision’s Rukiga Area Development Program from 2001 to 2015.
Currently, she works as the Finance and Administration Officer at CECE, supported by ChildFund.
Even before entering politics, Tukamushaba was a staunch advocate for youth and women empowerment in Rukiga District.
She has supported vulnerable children with scholastic materials, rewarded outstanding teachers, and championed youth skilling programs.
Her resilience and optimism were evident even during her darkest days in detention. Fellow detainees describe her as a woman who “never lost her smile” and “prayed daily for her tormentors.”
“She gave us hope, shared stories, and poured out her heart to everyone,” recalls one former cellmate, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Tukamushaba believes that if true democracy were given room to thrive, leadership would be less about personal power and more about functional systems.
“Leadership wouldn’t be as serious as we’ve made it systems would work,” she affirms.
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