Kampala.
Three aspirants to scramble for the NRM Party’s flag in the Oyam North By-election to replace the fallen State Minister For Gender, Labour and Social Development Col (rtd) Okello Engola Macodwogo.
On the 2nd of May 2023, former MP Col (rtd) Charles Patrick Okello Engola Macodwogo was brutally killed by his bodyguard Private Wilson Sabiti thus leaving the seat vaccant.
Amongst those who had picked nomination forms from the NRM party headquarters by closure of business on Wednesday, includes the son of the deceased MP, Samuel Engola Okello, former NRM vice chairperson for entrepreneurs league Willy Omodo Omodo and former Uganda’s high commissioner to Pretoria and London Amb Julius Peter Moto.
Samuel Engola Okello who first came into the political limelight at his campus days when he won by a land slide margin, guild presidential elections at Uganda Technical College Lira. Okello also served as a councilor at Oyam District, a position his proponents say helped to foster service delivery to his constituents.
Willy Omodo Omodo was a veteran politician in his youthful days who served as mobilizer for the NRM party in Lira and also contested for the NRM party flag in the Oyam North parliamentary elections with Okello Engola Macodowogo in 2016, then relocated his political base to Lira City to contest for City Mayorship in 2021.
Amb Julius Peter Moto, one of Uganda’s renowned diplomat who won prestigious awards as Uganda’s best performing ambassador. As Uganda’s High Commissioner to Pretoria, Moto wooed many South African investors to come to Uganda, something that earned him another tour of duty in the UK.
Dr. Tanga Doi’s led NRM electoral commission announced for the expression of interest from aspirants seeking to contest in the party primary election to represent the party as flag bearers for Oyam North by election on the 22nd of May, an exercise which will run upto 29th of May 2023.
On Monday, Dr. Tanga Odoi, the NRM party electoral commission chairperson in his letter, quotes NRM constitution Article 39(10) (a) which allows the party conduct party primary elections for candidates to hold the party flag and the process will be conducted at the NRM electoral commission offices, plot 13, Kyadondo road, Nakasero.
Odoi said the electoral guidelines require interested people to be aged 18 and above, a member of the NRM, and with senior four or six academic qualification.
Tanga Odoi, said the candidates should not be a civil servant, a police, UPDF or prison officer or a cultural leader.
The electoral commission has set 6th of July 2023 as the date in which the Oyam North by election will be held.
According to the electoral commission chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi the by-election will cost the electoral body 900 Million shillings.
That race is tight