NRM’s flag bearer Janet Adongo Elau signs her nomination forms at the Electoral Commission offices in Dokolo Dstrict shortly after her nominations on March 11,2024
By Sharon Akello
Dokolo: It was a beehive of activities as nominations climaxed on Tuesday with seven candidates nominated in the race to replace the late Cecilia Atim Ogwal, in the Dokolo district Woman Member of Parliament by- elections.
The seat for the woman MP for Dokolo district fell vacant after the death of Cecilia Atim Ogwal, on January 18, 2024 of cancer-related illness.
The nominees include; Janet Rose Adongo Elau on National Resistance Movement ticket (NRM), Rosemary Austine Alwoc Ogwal, who is contesting under the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) ticket to replace her late mother, Cecilia Atim Ogwal.
Other contestants are; Sarah Aguti Nyangkori of Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), Harriet Ageno of National Unity Platform (NUP), and independent candidates; Dr. Esther Akullo Obot, Dr. Anna Grace Atine Lalam and Rebecca Arao.
The nomination started on March 11, 2024 and concluded today afternoon with Arao’s nomination bringing to three candidates to include Akullo and Lalam who are NRM leaning.
Party flag bearers where escorted by the respective top party wigs including Rosemary Seninde from NRM party in charge of Mobilization, Lina Zedriga Waru the NUP’s Vice President for Northern Uganda among other notables.
What nominees say
Janet Rose Adongo Elau, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag-bearer expressed her excitement for the nominations, saying it is an opportunity for her to improve health services delivery to the people of Dokolo.
“I’m excited to be nominated, but we don’t have a district hospital that my late mother, Hon Cecilia Atim Ogwal and other Members of Parliament were trying to follow upon,” Adongo told Journalists after her nomination.
Dr. Esther Akullu Obot, who was nominated as an Independent candidate, said the poverty level in the district is alarming and needs to be fixed.
“The issue at hand here in Dokolo is poverty, what we have seen in our last consultation in the three weeks. We have found a lot of challenges in the social service sectors, be it education, infrastructure, health, water and sanitation, among others,” Akullu said.
Akullu cited that more than 300 roads in the District are in a poor condition, which hinder fast and effective development.
Akullu claimed that the community is ignorant of what is happening around them because they can’t travel due to impassable roads.
“We are ready to cause change and bring development to our electorate,” Akullu pledged.
Meanwhile, Dr. Hanna Grace Lalam Atine, another independent candidate, argued that Dokolo district is poor because of limited electric power supply, and yet the government introduced the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), but it is not optimally utilized.
According to Atine, adequate electricity supply facilitates faster development because it provides many income-generating activities.
“Our people would not be jobless if the program is fully embraced. I will ensure these challenges are addressed,” she added.
Electoral Commission speaks up on nominations
Dokolo District Returning Officer, Steven Erikwaine Ngobi, said apart from the parliamentary nominations, the Electoral Commission, is conducting nominations for six vacancies for the Sub-County and Town council and Town council Local governments.
“After nominations closing, we are going to have a harmonization of campaign’s meeting, which we shall hold on Wednesday (tomorrow) at the District council hall starting at 10am,” Ngobi said.
Ngobi requested the nominated candidates to attend the harmonization meeting to forge a peaceful way forward.
“It is through the harmonization of campaign meeting that we shall come up with the program which we shall follow as we conduct our campaigns,” he added.
The Dokolo By-election campaigns will start on 13th to 19th March, and elections shall be on 21st of the same month. Dokolo has 484 villages and 71 parishes with 175 polling stations.
