Margaret Komuhangi

{{Infobox person

| name = Margaret Komuhangi

| image = Komuhangi Margaret.jpg

| birth_date = 26 December 1970
Nakasongola District

| nationality = Ugandan

DEATH Date 16 January 2025
Nakasongola District

| citizenship = Uganda

| alma_mater = Makerere University
Makerere University Business School

| occupation = Politician

| party = National Resistance Movement (NRM)

| years_active = 2001 - 2025

| known_for = Politics

| title = Honourable Member of Parliament

}}

Margaret Komuhangi (born December 26, 1970) was a Ugandan politician. She was the elected

(Died 16, Jan 2025) Woman Member of Parliament for Nakasongola District on NRM ticket. NRM is the ruling political party in Uganda. She previously served as the chairperson, committee on Gender, Labour and Social Development, from 2014 to 2018.[https://www.parliament.go.ug/mp_database/profile.php?mid=240 "Parliament of Uganda"]. Parliament of Uganda. Retrieved 29 January 2020.

Background and education

Komuhangi attended Nakasongola Primary School in Nakasongola District for her primary studies where she obtained the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) certificate in 1983. She then joined St. Mathias Kalemba Senior Secondary School, Nazigo for her O-Level studies where she obtained the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) in 1987. She attended Makerere High School for her A-Level education where she obtained the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) in 1989. She was admitted to Makerere University, which is Uganda's largest public university, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Education in 1994.

She also holds a Masters in Business Administration obtained in 2006 from Makerere University Business School.

Career

From 1994 to 2000, Komuhangi served as a coordinator, Pan African Women Liberation Organ, Pan African Movement. In 1998, she served as a board member of Akina Mama wa Africa which is a feminist Pan-African Leadership Development Organisation until 2000. From 2001 until 2003, she served as a member of National Red Cross Council, Luweero District.

=Parliament=

In 2001, she entered elective politics by contesting as the parliamentary women representative of Nakasongola District, the first for the district. She was recalled in 2003, due in part to a petition. Komuhangi later beat Tubwita in the 2010 National Resistance Movement primary, and won her seat back in 2011.{{cite news |title=Nakasongola Woman MP Tubwita loses in NRM primaries |url=https://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1283471/nakasongola-woman-mp-tubwita-loses-nrm-primaries |accessdate=5 February 2020 |work=New Vision |date=3 September 2010}} In 2016, she was re-elected.[https://www.ec.or.ug/sites/default/files/docs/Gazette%20List%20Elected%20MPs%202016.pdf "The Electoral Commission"]. Uganda. Retrieved 05 February 2020. She served as the chairperson, the Uganda parliamentary committee on Gender, Labour and Social Development from 2014 until 2018.[https://croozefm.com/nakasongola-woman-mp-margaret-komuhangi-wants-government-construct-one-stop-centers-gbv-victims/ "Nakasongola Woman Mp Margaret Komuhangi wants government to construct one-stop-centers for GBV victims"]. Uganda. Retrieved 05 February 2020.

During her time in parliament, Komuhangi has been active on women's issues. She fought for better enforcement of laws prohibiting female genital mutilation, both in Uganda and the surrounding region.{{cite news |last1=Nakatudde |first1=Olive |title=MPs Want Regional Effort on FGM |url=https://ugandaradionetwork.com/story/gender-committee-want-regional-legal-framework-on-fgm |accessdate=5 February 2020 |work=Uganda Radio Network |date=25 October 2016 |language=en}} Komuhangi worked in a parliamentary committee to pass a law that encourages Ugandans to adopt orphaned or needy children.{{cite news |last1=MUHUMUZA |first1=RODNEY |title=Uganda: New law makes it hard for foreigners to adopt kids |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/0d2d585512bf415eb234db8e8075813b/uganda-new-law-makes-it-hard-foreigners-adopt-kids |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304111249/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/0d2d585512bf415eb234db8e8075813b/uganda-new-law-makes-it-hard-foreigners-adopt-kids |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 March 2016 |accessdate=5 February 2020 |work=Associated Press |date=4 March 2016}} She spoke out against a string of murders or women and girls in Entebbe, many killed for ritual or witchcraft purposes.{{cite news |last1=Kigambo |first1=Gaaki |title=Ugandan MPs take govt to task over Entebbe murders |url=https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/ea/Ugandan-MPs-question-Entebbe-murders/4552908-4088540-format-sitemap-3utgwfz/index.html |accessdate=5 February 2020 |work=The East African |date=9 September 2017 |language=en}} Between 2017 and 2018, child marriages in Komuhangi's district of Nakasongola decreased by 20%, due in part to increases in funding for daycares, nursery schools, and vocational training.{{cite news |last1=Mugera |first1=Jafar |title=Nakasongola records 20% fall in child marriages cases |url=https://intelpostug.com/2018/10/06/nakasongola-records-20-fall-in-child-marriages-cases/ |accessdate=5 February 2020 |work=intelpostug.com |date=6 October 2018}}