REPORT TELLS GEN. MUSEVENI SHOCKING SECRETS THAT THREATEN NRM FORTUNES IN LANGO
By JOHN OKELLO LAPOK
An intelligence report into why the ruling NRM was badly humiliated in last week’s by-elections for Oyam North has exclusively leaked to us. The ruling party registered misery after a UPC gal Dr. Eunice Otuko won the hotly contested by-election. In fact, by 6pm, the NRM had known its fate and the SFC functionaries had already relayed the ‘bad news’ to CiC Gen. Yoweri Museveni who had retreated to his farm in Kisozi.
“Our main problem was not UPC. These are allies but what we didn’t want was a NUP candidate to win. UPC are friendly forces” said an inspector, adding that this is the reason Museveni immediately came out and conglatulated the UPC gal upon victory. But what was the real problem for the Museveni troops in Oyam North?
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CLAN POLITICS
In Lango is a clan called Otikokin. The late Engola Charles belongs to this clan and so is his son Sam Engola Junior. Intelligence says besides the NRM candidate having been weak, people were not happy with the Otikokin dominance. With [former state minister] Sam Engola as its head, the clan has allegedly tried to spread its influence across Lango and pays less attention to political belonging of its candidate.
“Political parties do not matter. Whether NRM or opposition, what they want is their sons and daughters to grab power. It is happening everywhere in Lango. In Oyam, Kole, Lira, Apac and others, its members are positioning themselves. This is why Betty Engola was in Apac to antagonize Joy Ongom and it was a tough fight” says an inspector, adding that even its Secretary General who is from Kole is now an MP. It’s being claimed that the clan’s secret a strategy to place its sons and kins in Lango political offices parties not withstanding! In addition, it is stated that the NRM candidate, even when his dad was NRM, he wasn’t.
To make matters worse, Engola faced a challenge of those campaigning for him. Majority of them according to inspectors used his platform to position themselves for 2026 and people started wondering whether they were campaigning for themselves or the candidate. More salt was added to the wound when it appeared that the candidate’s father allegedly had a feud with some NRM bigwigs who helped bring him on the political scene. These same people however, turned out to be the main campaigners for Engola Junior and their action left many people wondering their credibility. These were suspected to be secretly working against the NRM candidate.
“Junior himself had his personal weaknesses as he had running battles with some elders. They refused to join him because he wasn’t on good terms with his dad. This worked against him and some elders saw his candidature as a possible risk to parents in Lango because children will start killing their parents to succeed them. They were opposed to that politics of inheritance” says an inspector.
“There is a silent revolution going on against the Otikokin clan among Langis. People were not happy with this clan. They are opposed to Otikokin dominance. Sam Engola has tried to spread his [clan] ground across Lango which is angering many people. When his kin [Junior] was brought as a candidate, the people invoked these sentiments and refused to support the NRM candidate” says an inspector.
On top of clan politics, Oyam has always been a stronghold of UPC but although in Oyam North it is debatable, according to a report to Museveni. For example, where Minister Betty Amongi hails from [Minakuru], it used to be a stronghold for DP to the extent that in the early 1960s, Amongi’s dad, a DP youth winger; allegedly threw rotten eggs to Milton Obote [UPC]. The three original sub-counties [Iceme, Otwal and Nai] of what used to be Apac North during Obote are said to be strongholds of UPC.
The report says during Obote II, Prof. Newton Ojok contested against Ben Wacha and he won. Newton who was appointed minister for Education did a lot of work in the sector and opened up many schools which benefited many children emerging from the Amin war. Among these children includes Dr. Alfred Olwal [Bishop] and Amb. Julius Moto. Following the 1985 coup, the constituency was taken over by Wacha and followed by Chrispus Ayena Odongo before Col. Charles Engola set in. In terms of religion, all these except Newton were Anglicans.
Inspectors quoting the intelligence report say in the recent election, UPC did a lot of balancing with religion, gender and equality. The district now apart from the LC5, is represented by women including Amongi, Alum and now Dr. Eunice Otuko Apio.
“All these are well-schooled women and are all Catholics unlike the NRM candidate who was a man and also belonged to the Otikokin clan whose members are not well schooled but are trying to dominate Lango politics” says an inspector.
On the other hand, the late Engola is said to have had an icy relationship with his senior minister Betty Amongi. In fact, some in Amongi camp claimed that if Junior had won, it was going to be a bad story to Amongi as the boy would have carried forward the dad’s alleged feud with their minister Amongi.
Coming to NRM primaries, it was stated that these primaries were robbed where some bigwigs in NRM EC worked with fake delegates to organize what was described as sham elections so as to rig for Junior.
“UPC in Lango is like a cult not a party. So, even if you don’t want it, you can’t fight it yet our party officials were abusing Jimmy Akena [the cult leader]” said an inspector.
ENTER OTUKO
This gal is a well-schooled Ugandan. Her mother is said to be a staunch Catholic whose love for her religion is not rivaled by anyone. She is among those ardent Pilgrims who walk hundreds of miles every year to turn up for Martyrs Day in Namugongo. Otuko runs an NGO which she has ably used to help the needy and formerly abducted kids.
Watch this space!
