FDC’s Abia setting the pace in Arua

With the “action” standard that incumbent Christine Abia has set, the next set of aspiring candidates will need a lot of brilliance to beat her. Christine Abia is the current Woman MP for Arua District.
PHOTO by CLEMENT ALUMA.

What you need to know:

Other candidates may come into the mix as word has it that the former MP for Ayivu County, Ms Margaret Angufiru, wants to move to the Woman MP seat. But for now, there has been neither official nor independent confirmation of this suspicion though

Arua.

Some people in this district have taken the view that for one to become a Woman MP, you need to be charismatic, astute, capable of articulating issues affecting women and ready to spend considerable energy traversing the five counties soliciting for votes.

However, there is something else that is increasingly showing itself to be a factor: steady growth in the number of vocal female elite here. Their collective opinion of who they think is best suited for the job is gaining currency. But in the more rural parts of the constituency, many voters appear to still be under the spell of campaign freebies such as money, salt, sugar, soap and basins bought and handed to them by candidates.

Bread and butter issues obviously are expected to play a role in the coming campaign. Ms Gloria Adiru, 56, a voter in Adumi who subscribes to NRM party, says government will be hoping to preach economic success as its case for re-election.

“To me, party inclination may not apply as long as the Woman MP is able to facilitate the articulation of women’s concerns and alter the gender dynamics in Parliament, then I will be fine with her.”

Ms Christine Abia, the incumbent MP on the FDC ticket, has been keen on advocating proper health systems to ensure or enhance safe motherhood. She will, for instance, be remembered for raising the alarm when a pregnant woman fell off her bed during labour and died at Arua Referral Hospital in May 2011.

Known for her vocal and fearless approach to politics, it is no surprise that President Museveni drew attention to Ms Abia’s strength in Parliament during the burial of late Gaspero Oda on September 13 last year. Museveni said: “Here, that lady Abia is quiet but in Kampala she is very dangerous.”
She has held the mantle of the district Woman representative since 2006.

A development apologetic, in April 2013, Abia launched a campaign with the municipal authorities to wipe out the activities of traditional healers. She accused them of being responsible for causing family breakdown in the municipality. As a result, several shrines were burnt and she caned the healers, including 11 women who were found at the shrines.

This was viewed by many as a positive way of preserving family values in the community. She was also instrumental in championing public debate against power tariff increment where she had called for rejection of the tariff saying it would not be affordable for poor consumers.

Some argue that politics today is not for the faint-hearted and for guests or those who have been abroad but for the people who have been with the residents.

While a number of issues remain on top of voters’ minds across rural and urban areas, the women are now also anxious about securing stable employment. The second most important anxiety is about clean and safe drinking water provision. These will be campaign talking points, it is expected.

A new entrant in the race, Ms Sarah Onyiru, 37, (NRM), said she would use her experience in the Civil Service, charisma and mobilisation in order to oust the incumbent whom she campaigned for in the last two elections.

“I want to be the link between women and the government, especially on the issues of maternal health and HIV, which has lots of challenges related to resources. I want to be part of the team to struggle for the betterment of women in the district. We need to make sure that delivery beds and equipment are in health centres where staffing remains a problem and this I can argue for on the floor of Parliament,” she said.

She said early marriages and girls education that remain a thorn in the flesh of many must be addressed. “Our communities should invest in girls education and give equal opportunities because it might be that girl who will in future save you. And we need to abandon the bad cultural practices and embrace the good ones,” she added.

Other candidates may come into the mix as word has it that the former MP for Ayivu County, Ms Margaret Angufiru, wants to move to the Woman MP seat. But for now, there has been neither official nor independent confirmation of this suspicion though.
Also, the past may come back to haunt the electoral process. In 2011, the confusion which wrecked the ruling party’s primary elections nationwide saw Ms Rita Popo disqualified at the last moment as NRM flag bearer in favour of Ms Alice Arumadri. This caused a split in that camp which is thought to have contributed to Ms Abia’s win by a huge margin.

Another woman, Ms Joice Adegi of Awindiri ward, says: “I need a candidate that can influence change in community attitudes to women in education, initiatives to combat stereotypes, providing opportunities and support for women to become candidates, as well as generational change.”

The opposition parties here have argued that voter suppression is a strategy likely to influence the outcome of the election by discouraging or preventing people from exercising their right to vote. This is largely due to the susceptibility of the rural women voters who are easily swayed by gifts. Some fear that voters known to be leaning in a certain political direction could, as such, be targeted this time.

Possible contenders for the seat
Alice Arumadri, NRM. She was NRM party flag bearer in 2011 after confusion marred the party primaries. She is a teacher and businesswoman who owns a hotel in Arua town.
Beatrice Acikosibo, NRM.
She is am academic and consultant who, if she runs, will be a first time candidate.

Christine Abia, FDC. Born in 1977, Abia holds a BA in Education and was Lecturer at Gulu University from 2002-2004. Abia was also elected by her party to represent Uganda in the Pan-African Parliament based on her reputation as an “honest and qualitative politician.” .

Sarah Onyiru, NRM. The 37-year-old is a civil servant who worked for about 12 years.
She has been chairperson of organising committees for various occasions in the district.
This has been as a platform for her to mobilise people around various government programmes.