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Teso cheers Echodu’s bid to unseat Mukula
Mr David Calvin Echodu (with yellow tie) is ushered into Soroti City Sports Ground on May 10, 2025. PHOTO/SIMON PETER
EMWAMU
What you need to know:
- The US-based national promised to usher in a new era of unity, grassroots mobilisation, and results-driven leadership.
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) party faithful in Teso turned out in large numbers on Saturday to welcome Mr David Calvin Echodu to Soroti City as he declared his bid for the NRM National Vice Chairperson (Eastern) seat. Escorted by a jubilant crowd to Soroti Sports Ground, Mr Echodu promised to usher in a new era of unity, grassroots mobilisation, and results-driven leadership.
His entry into the race, currently occupied by Mr Mike Mukula, is expected to shake up the political landscape in Eastern Uganda. Other contenders include Minister of Defence Jacob Oboth Oboth and Dr Musa Lumumba. Mr Echodu’s supporters framed his candidacy as a bridge-builder for a region long plagued by political infighting and broken promises. Mr Patrick Anatu, who used the rally to cross from the opposition FDC back to the NRM, cited past disillusionment but said Mr Echodu’s leadership marks a fresh start. “Echodu is not a man of sweet-coated lies—he brings action, not rhetoric,” said Mr Anatu. “He represents the dawn of a new vision for the NRM in Teso and Eastern Uganda,” he added. Leaders from outside Teso also endorsed Mr Echodu’s leadership style.
Mr Linos Lotem, the NRM chairperson for Amudat District in Karamoja, described him as a unifying figure. “He has already supported youth savings groups in Karamoja. If Teso doesn’t appreciate him, we shall take him,” Mr Lotem said. Mr Charles Elasu, the Soroti District NRM chairperson and a presidential adviser, credited Mr Echodu with tangible community impact, including support for education, malaria control, and post-conflict resettlement. “Elites in NRM often vanish until campaigns begin. That’s the culture Echodu wants to end,” said Mr Elasu.
“He’s committed to continued engagement and socioeconomic transformation, in line with President Museveni’s vision,” he added. NRM national mobiliser Teddy Acam also backed Echodu, accusing the current leadership of failing to connect the party to the grassroots. “We have no personal issue with Mukula. But the cohesion we desire has been lacking,” she said. Ambassador Nelson Ocheger, the national coordinator for the Echodu campaign, echoed that sentiment, calling his candidate a long-time supporter of NRM flagbearers who is “writing a new chapter for Teso.”
In his speech, Mr Echodu endorsed President Museveni for 2026 and vowed to end what he called “the era of lies.” “We can transform this country if we work with the President and remain grounded in the needs of the people,” he said. “There is hope. Museveni has a vision to move Uganda to middle-income status. We must help him achieve it,” he added, He accused some NRM leaders of sabotaging his earlier parliamentary bid for Soroti City West and called on supporters to reject political betrayal. “This time, I have hold of all four legs of the bull. It’s up to you to help me castrate it,” he said, taking a veiled jab at Mr Mukula.
“Those frogs croaking in the night should know—a new dawn is here,” he added. Mr Echodu pledged to ensure party structures truly reflect grassroots voices and said party chairpersons must be empowered and facilitated to function effectively. “The NRM is strong but tired. We need new energy in the system. We must fight corruption and end lip service to the people,” he said. A native of Tubur Sub-county in Soroti District, Echodu is a US-based Ugandan and founder of Pilgrim Africa, a charitable organisation that supports vulnerable communities across Uganda.
Inside Echodu’s rise from the margins Calvin David Echodu’s journey into Uganda’s political arena has been far from conventional. Born in Soroti and shaped by global exposure, Mr Echodu blends urban sophistication with a deep commitment to grassroots change. As founding member of Pilgrim Uganda, he has spent nearly two decades tackling complex development issues, from trauma counselling and malaria eradication to education and resettlement.
His humanitarian work earned him early respect in Teso. In 2007, when floods hit the region, his organisation responded faster than the government, prompting even the President to join a fundraising walk. But Mr Echodu’s credibility had already been built through consistent, quiet service. Now 52, Mr Echodu is seeking the NRM’s National Vice Chairperson seat for Eastern Uganda, long held by Captain Mike Mukula.
While some label him a political newcomer, he disagrees. “I joined NRM in 2001 and have supported party efforts in the East since 2006,” he says. “Whether new or not isn’t the issue. The party needs new energy, grounded leadership and strong grassroots links,” he adds. From founding Soroti Municipal Secondary School, where half the students attend on bursary, to supporting savings groups that revitalised rural economies, Mr Echodu has a record of service without spectacle. He argues that while the NRM still commands support, some leaders have grown distant. “Eastern Uganda needs a voice that reflects local interests and helps shape national policy,” he says. “We must rebuild the party’s connection to the people.”
