Six candidates battle for Pallisa’s Gogonyo MP seat 

What you need to know:

  • The newly created Gogonyo County was carved out of Agule County. Among the candidates eyeing the new seat are Mr Francis Mukura, who is the incumbent MP for Agule County. Mr Mukura is contesting as an Independent after he lost in the NRM primaries to Mr Derrick Orone.

The race for the Gogonyo parliamentary seat in Pallisa District continues to generate stiff competition ahead of the General Election scheduled for January 14, 2021.

The newly created Gogonyo County was carved out of Agule County. Among the candidates eyeing the new seat are Mr Francis Mukura, who is the incumbent MP for Agule County. Mr Mukura is contesting as an Independent after he lost in the NRM primaries to Mr Derrick Orone.

Other candidates are FDC’s Michael Emuron and Independents Issa Taligola Bantalib, Gerald Bonna and  Sam Ourum Okiror.
Analysts say the tight race is between NRM’s Orone and Mr Taligola, who is the former Pallisa District chairperson.

Mr Taligola says he spearheaded the demand for creation of Gogonyo County and hopes that area residents will reward his efforts come January 14.

“I lost in the sham NRM elections, but I am hopeful that I will win in the General Election because my people know what I have done for Gogonyo,” he says.
Mr Taligola says if elected, he will liberate people from poverty, improve on the road network and extend safe and clean drinking water.

“The leadership I intend to extend to the people of Gogonyo would be exemplary,  which is being accountable to them as well as transparent and also provide effective representation,” he adds.

Mr Taligola served as Pallisa chairperson from 2007 to 2016 before he was defeated by Mr Michael Okurut.
Mr Johnson Obete, an elder, says they will vote for a representative with ability to lobby for development projects.

“We no longer need just a MP but we want one with lobbying skills,” he says.
Ms Jane Akello, a resident of Pallisa Town Council, says the incumbent did nothing tangible for them.
“When we elected him, we thought he would make a good leader but five years down the road, he has done nothing for us,” he says. However, Mr Mukula, who is the incumbent MP, says he has done a lot for his people and that those thinking of unseating him, “will have to use hard metal.”

“I have brought a number of projects  to empower women and the youth with vocational skills, which have addressed unemployment and household poverty,” he says.

Mr Mukura was elected  MP in 2016 after he defeated NRM’s David Ochwa.

Mr Jimmy Opio, an analyst, says the political atmosphere in the area shows that there is likelihood of violence on election day.

“The candidates have parallel groups made up of youth, whom they are relying on to protect their votes on voting day. This is a sign that there will be violence,” he says. Mr Opio says among the factors shaping the elections in the county include tribe, money and service delivery.

“The candidate with more money will automatically have high chances of emerging as the winner,” he says.

The NRM flag bearer, Mr Orone, 32, pledges to transform the lives of the people of Gogonyo, saying the incumbents have done little.

“Leadership is not for enriching yourself but to serve people’s interests and this is what I am going to offer. People need transparent and accountable leadership,” he says.

 Mr Orone adds that he will lobby for the extension  of power in the rural areas in order to create employment opportunities for the youth and women.

 “I will ensure extension of electricity in some areas with power now because if we have access to power, we will be in a position to create employment opportunities,” he says.

 Mr Emuron, the FDC candidate and teacher by profession, says he intends to improve on the quality of education because currently the system is entirely broken and needs overhaul.

“The general situation in terms of service delivery is indeed appalling. This needs leaders like me to effectively address it but if the status quo remains the same then people will continue to cry,” he says. 

Candidates’ pledges
Issa Taligola (Independent) says if elected, he will liberate people from poverty, improve on the road network and extend safe and clean drinking water.

 Derrick Orone (NRM) adds that he will lobby for the extension of power in the rural areas in order to create employment opportunities for the youth and women.

Michaek Emuron (FDC) says he intends to improve on the quality of education because currently the system is entirely broken and needs an overhaul.