Nine fight to replace Otengo in Alebtong

Survivors of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency attend the screening of a documentary about the LRA war at Ammo Weki Paro memorial site in Alebtong District. Survivors of the two-decade war, like other electorates in the district, are yearning for better services. Photo BY Bill Oketch

What you need to know:

Scramble for Alebtong. The heat is already on in this district as five NRM members, three UPC members and an FDC member are all warming up to grab the district Woman parliamentary seat

Alebtong.

As the incumbent Woman Member of Parliament, Rebecca Amuge Otengo, heads to Moroto County also in Alebtong District, where she hopes to unseat Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC)’ Benson Obua Ogwal, a total of nine women have already showed interest in replacing her.

Among them are five prospective candidates hoping to contest on NRM ticket; three on UPC ticket and one on Forum for Democratic Change. One of them who has shown interest is Christine Acen who pulled out of the race in 2011, and rallied her supporters behind Otengo.

Acen holds a diploma in Public Administration and Management and is currently pursuing a degree in the same field. She has worked at Facilitation for Peace and Development (FAPAD), a Lango-based human rights organisation, under a good governance and democracy project.

With such exposure, she feels comfortable about her ability to ably represent the women of Alebtong in the next Parliament.
“Since Alebtong is still a new district, I will work hand in hand with the district leadership to ensure that whatever government brings to the district, reaches the intended beneficiaries,” she says.

However, there are claims that Acen may pay for stepping down for Otengo.
Barbara Akech (NRM) will be counting on the support of her clansmen in Akuru Sub-county. She holds a Diploma in Primary Education.

Catherine Alum is another contestant for the NRM ticket. She has a diploma in Law and a degree in Development Studies. Her claim to fame is a health project through which she is currently donating beds and mattresses to active government health centres in the district.

“Alebtong District is very underdeveloped. First of all, it is a new district and secondly, there is no major road. That means the leaders have to work thrice as much for the district to realise any meaningful development,” she says.

“Having worked in Alebtong District in various capacities, I have the problems of the district at my fingertips,” she says.
Alum can expect to contend with Emily Akullo Omacara, a former assistant secretary at State House. In this crowded race to grab the ruling party ticket, Omacara’s Master of Arts in Economic Policy may just give her an edge.

Her time in government also saw Omacara work as Resident District Commissioner in Busia and Moroto districts. Her experience in private sector employment has seen the former State House employee lay claim to being a researcher and business consultant, who has worked with a number of organisations, among them, the African Institute for Leadership and Research.

The public policy research and advocacy think-tank, Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment, has also enjoyed her services on a research project covering public expenditure and a governance study in health, road infrastructure, education and production sectors.

“My main interest is health, education and roads, promotion of tourism and sports,” she says.

But critics believe Oamcara faces an uphill task to win people’s trust in the district. They say she worked with the First Lady, and served in various positions in government, but failed to connect people to opportunities or bring development in Alebtong. They say she does not also have any project that she can point at the area.

Dorcas Acen, a development worker, also hoping to get the NRM nod, will point to her MA in Development Studies as a basis for her plans to focus attention on what she calls the key sectors: education, health and sustainable livelihood. “I am looking at all the key sectors which can contribute to development and they include education, health and sustainable livelihood,” she says.

With the already crowded field in the ruling party camp, the three hopefuls running under the UPC banner may be breathing a little easier. They include Milly Akello, Sarah Aol and Judith Joy Atim.

The three candidates will, however, have to contend with the unfortunate situation presently bedeviling their party with party leader Olara Otunnu refusing to recognise the election of Lira Municipality MP Jimmy Akena, who he says was fraudulently elected as his replacement. The party is split down the middle and a candidate’s chances may be determined by which side of the fence one is standing.

What Akello has to offer
Akello is the Alebtong Town Council woman representative to the district council. A nurse by profession, she is currently pursuing a diploma in public administration and management.
“My vision is to improve transparency in service delivery, upgrading Alebtong Health Centre IV to a district hospital and advocating for more staffing in government health facilities,” Akello says.

Akello is a former youth leader at Aloi Archdeaconry, who also worked with the Uganda Red Cross and volunteered with United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
“I have been a loyal and sound member of UPC better than the other two contenders,” she says, adding: “I am seeing myself a better candidate because I have passed through many challenges and was able to overcome them,” she says.

Like all the other aspiring candidates, Aol recognises that the young district has a lot of catching up to do. As the head teacher at Aloi High Primary School, her daily interaction with the people appears to have persuaded her of her abilities to “speak for the voiceless” if elected.

Dan Okello, the UPC spokesman in Lango, a sub-region, which has traditionally had congressmen and women on account of having had the honour of being the birth place of UPC founding father and two-time national president, Dr Apollo Milton Obote, says the party primaries will determine the fate of those eyeing the Alebtong Woman’s seat.

“They will participate in the party primaries where one person is elected to become flag bearer,” Okello tells Saturday Monitor. He, nonetheless, acknowledges the constitutional right of whoever fails to get the party ticket to choose to run as an independent even though the UPC constitution is against it.
Giving a second shot

On the FDC ticket, Elizabeth Abongo, who unsuccessfully contested in Ajuri County in 2011 with men and was defeated by the current MP Hamson Obua (NRM), is having another bite at the cherry. Abongo is a lecturer at Makerere University and may have to respond to criticism that she tends to be elitist - an allegation, which they say explains her reportedly cool relations with especially the people in Abako Sub-county which, she calls home. But she remains unfazed.

“Poverty resulting from the two-decade insurgency has crippled the economy of our people. Children lost parents; women and men lost their spouses during the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) war. It’s up to the electorate to elect a hardworking and competent woman to represent them in the 10th Parliament,” she said in an interview.

In 2011, Otengo won with 30,061 votes against Cecilia Agang’s (UPC) 19,018 votes after Christine Acen (Indep) pulled out of the race at the last minute. The forthcoming election promises to be more competitive as the field has widened with more prospective candidates laying down markers.

Possible contenders
Catherine Alum. The NRM member has a diploma in Law and a degree in Development Studies.

Dorcas Acen. The development worker is an NRM member with anr MA in Development Studies.

Barbara Akech . She is also an NRM member. She holds a Diploma in Primary Education.

Emily Akullo Omacara. Also NRM, Omacara is a former assistant secretary at State House. She was also Resident District Commissioner in Busia and Moroto districts. She holds a Master of Arts in Economic Policy.

Milly Akello. The UPC member is Alebtong Town Council woman representative on the district council. A nurse by profession, she is currently pursuing a diploma in public administration and management.

Christine Acen. The NRM member, who pulled out of the 2011 race for the incumbent Rebecca Amuge Otengo, holds a diploma in Public Administration and Management and is pursuing a degree in the same field.