Amuru Woman MP race in last lap

AMURU- Amuru District is the centre of attention this week as politicians descend on the district ahead of the Woman parliamentary seat by-election slated for November 20.

The seat fell vacant following the resignation from the position by former Water minister Betty Atuku Bigombe for a job at the World Bank.

Ms Jane Frances Amongin Okili will run on the NRM ticket after trouncing Ms Gloria Abalo by 7,695 votes to 2,390 during the party primaries held last month.
Ms Okili had, on independent ticket, given the race a shot in the 2011 general election but lost to Ms Bigombe.

Ms Lucy Akello will head into the polls on a joint Opposition ticket whereas Ms Suzan Adokorach Bwot will try her luck on the Conservative Party ticket. Ms Josephine Atim, Ms Caroline Aber, and Ms Pauline Achan will run on the independent ticket each.

On the ground, the Minister in-charge of Mobilisation, also a Member of Parliament for Nwoya County, Mr Richard Todwong, and the NRM vice chairperson for northern region, who is also Member of Parliament for Erute South, Mr Sam Engola, are heading the ruling party’s campaign to marshal support for their candidate.

Other NRM party members also seen in Amuru include Ms Lilly Adong, the Woman MP for Nwoya District, Mr John Amos Okot, the Agago MP, and Mr Santa Oketta, the presidential adviser for Acholi sub-region.

On the other hand, Mr Norbert Mao, the Democratic Party (DP) president, Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) leader Olara Otunnu, and Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leader Maj Gen (rtd) Mugisha Muntu, Kilak County MP Gilbert Olanya and Dokolo Woman MP Cecilia Ogwal are working together to support Ms Akello.

In a vetting session held in the district, Ms Akello of FDC competed with Ms Grace Auma of UPC and DP’s Concy Adoch Nyapolo. Amuru District FDC chairperson Michael Lakony, said as Opposition, they took a bold move to have only one candidate to demonstrate unity and cooperation.

“We have always known Amuru District as household of Opposition party. NRM has no place in the race and they are already intimidated by our single candidate,” he said.

However, the Conservative Party (CP) has rejected the joint candidate fielded by other Opposition parties and fronted its own candidate, Ms Suzan Adokorach.
The CP president, Mr John Ken Lukyamuzi, while campaigning for Ms Adokorach recently, accused Mr Mao and Mr Otunnu of isolating CP from the Interparty Coalition (IPC) ahead of Amuru Woman MP by-election.

Mr Lukyamuzi, who is also MP for Rubaga Division South, argued that because of the isolation, the party decided to front its own candidate.

“We must have had a share in the selection of the final candidate under the Interparty Coalition, But our colleagues in DP and UPC party because of their greed, they isolated us thus forcing CP to front its own candidate,” Mr Lukyamuzi said.

“It’s only CP party that has vision and relevancy in handling and solving the current land issues in Amuru District, we believe our colleagues under the IPC have other ill intentions of distorting the land cases of Amuru,” Mr Lukyamuzi added.

Ms Adokorach said she is the only person who can resolve land matters in the district, that has hindered development.

“I will spearhead the fight against the government in its move in land giveaway to Madhvani without the consent of the land owners,” she said.
Ms Adokorach is a professional teacher and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Gulu University.

The UPC national secretary in-charge of mobilisation, Mr Dan Oola Odiya, dismissed Mr Lukyamuzi’s claim, saying the joint Opposition candidate was selected without bias.

Speaking at a campaign rally for NRM’s Okili at Lamogi Sub-county, the Lira deputy Resident District Commissioner, Mr Emmanuel Lutukumoi, asked Mr Mao and Mr Otunnu to back off politics, arguing that their political ideas were now irrelevant.

“Their politics is outdated. In the past they were capitalising on the (20-year LRA) war, but as the region returns to normalcy, we need leaders who talk politics of development, not of regime change,” he added.

The Amuru Resident District Commissioner, Mr James Kidega, has been very vocal in seeking votes for the NRM’s candidate, adding that it’s the only way they can tap developmental projects in the district.

While soliciting votes at Lamogi Sub-county, Ms Okili said: “Women and youth are a priority when I get to Parliament. Women suffer when land issues surface since they are the mothers and it’s the land that they till to feed on their children.”
She added: “In case I am entrusted to get to Parliament, I will work with the people of Amuru in ensuring that service delivery in the district is improved. Locals will be sensitised on land utilisation to improve income at the household level.”

Ms Okili also pledged to accomplish the initiatives and programmes that Ms Bigombe did not tackle, especially alleviating poverty among the women, youth and elderly persons.

Ms Okili, a professional counsellor, says the issues of child mothers, who were raped and defiled, need medical care redress.

“To date, there are still many women whose wounds have not healed, but nothing has been done to help them heal. As a woman and a mother, I feel if I represent the district I will be in position to lobby both the government and partners to address the needs of the most needy,” she said.

While campaigning at Bibia Parish, Atiak Sub-county, Mr Mao said: “We shall fight teeth and nail to snatch leadership from Mr Museveni and in case we win the by-election here in Amuru, it will be a clear manifestation that peaceful change is possible.”

“With vote rigging that NRM does best, this time round we have tightened the belts, and as Opposition, we will work to defeat the NRM,” he said.

On the issue where President Museveni has locked horns with locals on the giveaway of land to Madhvani Group of Companies, who are seeking 40,000 hactres for growing sugarcane, Mr Mao said there has never been free land in Acholi.
“Land belongs to people and whoever wants land for development, should seek audience from the land owners,” Mr Mao said.

Ms Akello, the executive director of the Justice and Peace Commission at Gulu Archdiocese, says she is the only hope for the locals in Amuru, who have missed out on government programmes for a long time.

“Having interacted with the locals for a long time, I am better placed in highlighting their issues and get a way forward so that they are resolved and people move at the same pace with the rest in the region,” Ms Akello said.
Ms Achan, an Independent candidate, who holds a Degree in Environment Management from Makerere University, has pledged that if elected, she will educate people of Amuru on use of land which she says has been kept redundant.

Ms Atim, also an Independent candidate, the LC5 councillor for Atiak Sub-county, who holds a Degree in Business Administration, said women representation in Parliament is lacking and she is the only one who can champion it.
“When women and youth are empowered, development is automatic and it’s on that note that I feel I need to give this to the public,”

Ms Aber, an Independent candidate, who holds a Degree in Development Studies, says she wants to spearhead investment in Amuru.
“Sensitising the local on land use is paramount and it will be on that basis for them to embrace investment,” she said.

BIGOMBE TENURE

Ms Betty Bigombe, represented Gulu Municipality in Parliament (then known as the National Resistance Council) from 1986 until 1996. She was defeated in a hotly-contested race by Mr Norbert Mao, the current DP president.

After the defeat, she left for a World Bank job where she worked as senior social scientist in the post-conflict unit and a consultant to the bank’s Social Protection and Human Development Unit.

She later rejoined politics in 2011 and defeated incumbent Concy Aciro (FDC), becoming the Member of Parliament.

Additional reporting by James Owich and Stephen Okello