In a passionate address during the Oyam by-election campaign for the National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Daniel Okello, party president Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert, popularly known as Bobi Wine, pointed a finger at the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party for the enduring poverty in Northern Uganda. Bobi Wine emphasized that the NRM has failed to meet the expectations of Ugandans over the past three decades, leading to a dire economic situation in the region.
Addressing enthusiastic crowds at the climax of the Oyam by-election campaign, Bobi Wine stated that the prevalence of poverty in Northern Uganda was a deliberate government policy under the NRM’s governance. Expressing dismay at the deplorable conditions faced by the region’s inhabitants, he shared heart-wrenching accounts of old people seeking food, highlighting the severe hardships faced by the population.
“The population in Northern Uganda has been deliberately impoverished and subdued. The levels of poverty are unbelievable,” Bobi Wine asserted. He further accused the NRM of exploiting the region’s vulnerability by only showing up during elections to make empty promises and distribute small sums of money as bribes.
“The NRM machinery only comes around during elections. It is then that these people get to see the ‘government’ through the long military convoys driving around regime officials! It is during elections that these people are bribed with as little as 500 Uganda shillings and given new empty promises,” Bobi Wine tweeted moments after his return from Oyam.
Promising a different future for the region, Bobi Wine vowed that if the people of Oyam entrusted the NUP with their mandate, they would combat corruption and bring an end to rampant poverty in Northern Uganda.
“The poverty and challenges that this government has put us in will end if you decide. The land grabbing and corruption will also end if you decide,” he urged the enthusiastic crowd, warning them against falling for any potential bribes from rival candidates.
The Oyam by-election, set for July 6, has become a battleground for at least four candidates competing to replace the late Labour Minister Okello Engola, who was tragically killed by his own bodyguard in May. The contenders include NRM’s Samuel Engola Jr. (the late minister’s son), UPC’s Dr. Eunice Apio Otuko, FDC’s Freddy Newton Okello, and NUP’s Daniel Okello.
However, concerns about electoral malpractice have been raised, prompting the Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama to issue a warning against such actions. President Museveni expressed his disapproval in a letter discrediting the recent Bukedea LCV by-election due to the presence of irregularities and violence.
As the Oyam by-election approaches, Bobi Wine’s promises to uplift Northern Uganda from poverty have resonated with many residents. The region’s population now faces a critical decision that could shape their future and the prosperity of generations to come.
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