Acholi lawmakers in near fistfight over aborted rally

Failure. The rally flopped because a football match was being held at the venue.

Acholi MPs nearly traded blows on Friday evening after a rally they called at Pece Stadium to release details of theft of money meant for the northern Uganda recovery programme aborted over a football match.

Tempers flared when six of the 17 MPs hailing from the region waited for nearly an hour for the game to end as they mooted their next course of action at the stadium’s conference hall.

Clash
In the process, the Kilak County MP, Mr Gilbert Olanya, blamed NRM for allegedly sabotaging the rally, an accusation which did not go down well with Nwoya Woman MP Lilly Adong.

An angry exchange of words ensued between the two before Kitgum Woman MP Beatrice Anywar joined in. Ms Anywar and Ms Adong had to be restrained from attacking each other.

The scuffle took nearly 10 minutes, attracting spectators.
Pader Woman MP Christine Dorine Luwila, the vice chair of the Acholi Parliamentary Group, only looked on as the scuffle unfolded.

“As leaders, we need to control ourselves and be exemplary, that was why I walked away because they were not listening to me,” Ms Luwila said.

She said the stadium was chosen as an alternative venue due to a parade in preparations for women’s day at Kaunda Grounds. By press time, the MPs were still discussing their next course of action.

Mr Olanya said: “There are some people who were sent to disorganise it (rally). ” Ms Anywar said she was ‘disappointed’ with the way the rally was ‘sabotaged’.

Later, two police officers who were recording the press interview were roughed up by the legisaltors.