L-R: Dr Musa Lumumba, Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs, Mr Jacob Oboth-Oboth, and Capt Mike Mukula. Photos | File
The Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs, Mr Jacob Oboth-Oboth, and Dr Musa Lumumba have expressed interest in ending Capt Mike Mukula’s 16-year tenure as ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party’s national vice chairperson for eastern region. Dr Lumumba, a medical doctor working at Masafu Hospital in Busia District, last Friday announced his bid to unseat Capt Mukula. The aspirant is also the national coordinator of the Bazzukulu Doctors and former president of the Federation of Uganda Medical Interns.
The Bazzukulu Doctors, is a team of young Ugandan doctors who were assigned by President Museveni to tackle drug theft and absenteeism in hospitals, among other vices that occur in health facilities, to improve service delivery. Dr Lumumba said the eastern region continues to grapple with poverty, teenage pregnancies, unemployment and uneven distribution of the ‘national cake’ and believes that he is the right person to turn around the pathetic situation, once given the opportunity to lead the region. “I’m not going to unseat Mukula as a person. I’m coming to unseat the inequalities that are faced by the people in eastern Uganda,” Mr Lumumba said, adding: “When you look at the Bukedi Sub-region, it is the second poorest in the country.
We are not happy about that. When you look at Busoga, it is one of the regions with the highest teenage pregnancies in the whole country. When you look at Sebei, when you look at the Bugisu Sub-region, even Teso, you see poverty, unemployment, hunger, and hospitals that need to be refurbished.” According to him, the region needs a leader who thinks strategically and mobilises resources and tools to ensure that no part of eastern Uganda is left behind.
“We are happy that His Excellency the President has recently empowered eastern Uganda. When you look at the Speaker of Parliament, the Vice President, the Auditor General, the Governor Bank of Uganda and Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, they are all from eastern Uganda. Unfortunately, they are all from one house, Teso, yet eastern Uganda has five houses.
We have Sebei house, Bukedi house, Bugisu, Busoga and Teso,” he said. Dr Lumumba said he has been at the forefront of pushing for better terms and working conditions for health workers in Uganda and is determined to apply the same spirit to serve the people of eastern Uganda. He added that he was among a section of members of Uganda Medical Association led by their then president, Dr Samuel Oledo, who in 2022, knelt before President Museveni, begging him to run for presidency in 2026 and thanked him for his leadership, which he referred to as visionary.
The doctors were later taken to the National Leadership Institute (NALI), Kyankwanzi, for leadership training. Dr Lumumba said the NRM should open space for young people to lead in senior positions. He also commended the First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga for mentoring young leaders. Meanwhile, Mr Oboth-Oboth, who is also the West Budama Member of Parliament, accuses Capt Mukula of underperformance.
He alleges that after being elected to the position, Capt Mukula neglected his role and regional responsibilities, focusing instead on serving Teso Sub-region at the expense of the broader eastern region. “We witnessed the NRM presidential candidate perform poorly in several districts due to a total lack of mobilisation, and we're not willing to let this continue,” Mr Oboth-Oboth said. He accused Capt Mukula of doing little to fight poverty and unemployment in eastern Uganda.
“The Central Executive Committee (CEC) position is a top decision-making organ within the ruling party, which is why I’ve joined the race to lobby for services for our people and rejuvenate party support in the region,” Mr Oboth-Oboth said. He added: “I’m the circuit breaker, not a generator or transformer. Though small, a circuit breaker is essential equipment for any house with electricity to prevent outages in case of any issues.”
Like Dr Lumumba, Mr Oboth-Oboth acknowledged that poverty in eastern Uganda also stems from the region’s initial resistance to the NRM government. “When Museveni took power in 1986, the majority of people in Bukedi were UPC [Uganda Peoples Congress] supporters, which made it take longer for them to appreciate the NRM and its development programmes,” Mr Oboth-Oboth said. He said there should be a deliberate effort to mobilise people to embrace government programmes while simultaneously ensuring the party remains strong at the grassroots level. Mr Oboth- Oboth added that it is time for Mr Mukula to step down honourably and spare himself the embarrassment of being pushed out of the coveted position.
Mukula speaks out
In response, Mr Mukula, however, said he will not step down from the coveted position and has already rolled out his campaign machinery to ensure he retains the top seat. Mr Mukula dismissed claims from both Mr Oboth- Oboth and Dr Lumumba that he had underperformed during his tenure. “We have 97 NRM MPs, 25 independent MPs who sympathise with us, two National Unity Platform (NUP), one JEEMA, and 11 Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) parliamentarians from the eastern region. So, I find it laughable when people claim I’m underperforming,” Mr Mukula said The candidates will be voted by 8,000 to 10,000 NRM members from across the party's structures at the national delegates’ conference at Namboole stadium. The elected person joins the Central Executive Committee (CEC), the party’s top decision-making organ.
About oboth oboth According to the Defence minstry’s website, Mr Jacob Marksons Oboth, also known as Jacob Oboth-Oboth, was born on April 13, 1971. Mr Oboth-Oboth is a lawyer and Member of Parliament for West Budama County South, currently serving as a minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs. After completing his law degree, he served as the Deputy Attorney General for Tieng Adhola Cultural Institution. He then worked as a state attorney in the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, based in Mbale.
In 2007, he left his government job to pursue a master’s degree in election and cyber law at the University of Minnesota,USA. Upon his return in 2010, he joined active politics, using the connections he had made in the US to secure donors who offered to initiate projects in his constituency, which helped him win over voters. Mr Oboth-Oboth was elected as an Independent MP for West Budama South in 2011, defeating the incumbent, State minister for Labour, Dr Emmanuel Otaala, who unsuccessfully challenged his victory in court. He was re-elected in 2016, setting a record for being the first legislator to be elected for a second successive term in his constituency since 1996.
About Mike Mukula Captain
Mike Mukula is a politician, businessman, and professional pilot, He was born in 1958 in Soroti. He trained as a pilot in Kenya and later in the USA and served as President Museveni’s pilot in the late 1980s. He joined politics in 1996, representing Soroti Municipality in Parliament until 2016, and served as State minister for Health. During his tenure in Parliament, Mr Mukula championed a motion to disarm Karimojong warriors, a move that addressed decades-long insecurity affecting not only Karamoja, but also neighbouring sub-regions such as Acholi, Lango, Teso, Bugisu, and Sebei. Sources credit him with championing the cause of peace, which paved the way for economic integration, agricultural revival, and cross-border stability. In 2022, he launched the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) on behalf of Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, reinforcing his role as a bridge between generations within the Movement and a strategic pillar in the ideological evolution of NRM. Mr Mukula is currently involved in private business and hopes to retain his seat as NRM’s vice chairperson of the eastern region ‘‘to steer eastern Uganda into a future of unity...and unshakable patriotic purpose’’.
About Dr Lumumba
Dr Musa Lumumba, 38, is a doctor at Masafu Hospital in Busia District and formerly served as president of the Federation of Uganda Medical Interns. He played a key role in the medical interns’ strikes, advocating for better pay while also helping to negotiate an end to the strikes. Dr Lumumba currently serves as the national coordinator of the Bazzukulu (grandchildren) doctors’ group. He is a strong advocate for youth development, health financing, patriotism, and pan-Africanism. His leadership credentials are demonstrated through his recent efforts to mobilise and empower young medical professionals. In May 2023, he successfully led the first group of doctors in patriotism and leadership training at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi, focusing on instilling national values. Dr Lumumba and Dr Samuel Oledo, then head of Uganda Medical Association, garnered attention for kneeling at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds with over 40 doctors to thank President Museveni for health sector investments and urged him to seek re-election in 2026. He has played a key role in resolving medical disputes, notably ending strikes by medical interns.
Motive
I’m not going to unseat Mukula as a person. I’m coming to unseat the inequalities that are faced by the people in eastern Uganda...Bukedi Sub-region, it is the second poorest in the country – Dr Musa Lumumba
Stance
I’ve joined the race to lobby for services for our people and rejuvenate party support in the region...I’m the circuit breaker, not a generator or transformer. Though small, a circuit breaker is essential equipment for any house with electricity to prevent outages in case of any issues– Jacob Oboth
Results
We have 97 NRM MPs, 25 independent MPs who sympathise with us, two National Unity Platform (NUP), one JEEMA, and 11 Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Parliamentarians from the eastern region. So, I find it laughable when people claim I’m underperforming – Mike Mukula
NRM polling dates
•Party structures: May 6
•SIG Committees (youth, PWDs and older persons): May 24
•Member of Parliament (Constituency, district/ city and Woman MP): July 16
•Local government council and municipal/city division mayors- July 24
•National conference to elect the NRM presidential flag bearer, executive committee of CEC, executive committees of special organs at national level and special interest group MP flag bearers on August 25
