Lango sub-region MPs graduate from cohabitation

Jimmy Akena and Betty Amongi

Lira Municipality MP, Jimmy Akena, traditionally married Betty Amongi, MP for Oyam South and chairperson of Uganda Parliamentary Women Association. The couple got married last Saturday after living together for seven years. Akena, the son of former President, Apollo Milton Obote and former UPC president, Miria Kalule Obote, became the Lira Municipality MP in 2006 after beating then incumbent MP, Cecilia Ogwal.
His marriage to Amongi comes after Roselyn Kabonesa, 38, who Akena said was a mad woman, claimed to be his abandoned wife.

Akena holds a General Certificate of Examinations (G.C.E) from the University of London.
He worked as a country manager at Agromed, Zambia Ltd in Zambia and Agromed Kenya Ltd between 1992 and 1994 before coming back to Uganda to join politics as a legislator.

The MP is currently a member on the Committee of Natural Resources and also Committee Member on Government Assurances. On the other hand, Amongi is a political scientist with an MA in International relations and Diplomatic studies. She has been involved in the work of the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU), especially gender related work, and served as the second vice president of the IPU Women’s Bureau (2012-2014). She also served as the President of the 17th Women Meeting in 2012 from where she was elected as the chairperson of Uwopa as well as the Commonwealth Women Parliamentary Association’s Uganda Chapter.

Her interests and competencies lie in gender and development. She is one of the legislators at the forefront of pushing for Marriage and Divorce Bill which seeks to reform and consolidate all the laws relating to marriage. She also has interest in human rights as well as peace and security. She has been involved in the peace talks between the government of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army.

Before Akena, Amongi who is also UPC’s chief whip in Parliament, was traditionally married to Dr James Ocwa on July 19, 2003 but later separated after Ocwa realised that his wife was cohabiting with Akena with whom she has two children. Ocwa, who she bore for one child, then demanded that the bride price of 10 cows that had been paid to Amongi’s family be returned which the family declined even after she is reported to have bought 30 cows for her family for that purpose.