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National Resistance Movement (NRM) District Councilors in Dokolo district are contemplating throwing their support behind an independent candidate for the upcoming by-election. This consideration arises from the alleged failure of the party to disburse funds owed to them since the 2021 General Election.
Reportedly, an amount exceeding 80 million Shillings, earmarked for facilitating party flagbearers and leagues representing youth, disability, and women, has not been distributed as intended since February 2021. Each candidate was entitled to one million Shillings, and their repeated demands for payment have gone unanswered by the party.
During the NRM Expanded District Delegates conference at Dokolo Technical Institute, Tony Odongo, the chairperson of the NRM Caucus, revealed that district councilors and sub-county leaders are considering backing an independent candidate if their grievances remain unaddressed.
However, Rose Namayanja Nsereko, the NRM Deputy Secretary General, refuted the claims, asserting that the allocated funds were disbursed from the party treasury and can be traced to the district. She warned against using the by-election as leverage to coerce the party and urged leaders to support the NRM flagbearer while efforts were made to settle their dues.
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Felix Okot Ogong, the Dokolo North Member of Parliament, acknowledged the complexity of the by-election and advised direct financial support to village teams from the party.
Contrarily, Rosemary Seninde, the NRM Director for Mobilization, labeled independent-NRM-leaning candidates as “rebels” and cautioned against supporting them, fearing it could bolster opposition chances. She cited the Oyam By-election as a cautionary tale.
In response to Seninde’s plea, Beatrice Abang, an independent-leaning candidate and the District NRM Chairperson, withdrew from the race to support the official NRM candidate. However, Irene Amongi Ajwika, another independent candidate, remained steadfast in her candidacy, emphasizing her commitment to representing the people of Dokolo rather than the NRM party.
Despite Abang’s withdrawal, four other independent NRM-leaning candidates continue to vie for the seat vacated by the late Cecilia Atim Ogwal.
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