Otai and Akol: No one is unopposed in Bukedea

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) aspirant Norma Susan Otai and National Resistance Movement (NRM) member Hellen Odeke Akol have both asserted that the seat of Woman Member of Parliament for Bukedea District is open for competition and should not be regarded as an uncontested position for the current Speaker of Parliament, Annet Anita Among.

Otai is running on a platform of transparency, development, and democratic accountability. She accuses Speaker Among of neglecting the district’s developmental needs in favor of personal business interests. According to Otai, the people of Bukedea have been misled to believe in non-existent progress.

She criticized the recently opened Bukedea Teaching Hospital, claiming it remains inaccessible to the average resident due to high costs, and argued that if Bukedea Health Center IV received proper government funding, it could provide essential services for free.

Otai further alleged that the Speaker’s private enterprises have eclipsed public facilities meant to benefit citizens. “We now need change, not lies,” she said, questioning how someone who has not delivered a district hospital can continue to hold such a powerful position. She stressed the importance of electoral competition and condemned claims that any candidate should run unopposed, stating that democracy is about choice.

She cited a lack of tarmacked roads, clean piped water, and poor health services as key indicators of underdevelopment in Bukedea. Otai also raised concerns about the education sector, highlighting that students at Kachonga Primary School study in poor conditions while the Speaker runs a private school unaffordable to many families in the district.

Otai noted that elections must not be reduced to rubber-stamping predetermined candidates. She accused Speaker Among’s team of intimidating opposition figures, saying she had been branded a “thug” for daring to contest. Responding to claims challenging her eligibility, Otai explained that she resides in Kamutur Sub-county, Agoloto village, and also has a home in Kolir Sub-county, affirming her right as a Ugandan to seek political office.

Recalling the 2021 elections, Otai said the Electoral Commission unfairly disqualified three other aspirants over documentation discrepancies, resulting in Among being declared unopposed. She warned against a repeat of that precedent and emphasized her FDC nomination for the 2026 elections as a sign of her legitimate challenge. “No position is reserved for anyone,” she declared. Hellen Odeke Akol echoed Otai’s concerns and emphasized that the issues affecting Bukedea demand national attention.

Akol revealed that since 2021, she has repeatedly encountered legal challenges during nomination processes for the Woman MP position. In one instance, she won a court battle regarding the use of her husband’s surname but now faces new scrutiny over her residency in Kokonyele Village, Malera Sub-county, where her husband purchased land.

Following the reinstatement of her name in the NRM party register, Akol picked up nomination forms and is now awaiting further guidance from President Museveni on her nomination. She criticized the 2021 elections, during which the Electoral Commission nullified her candidacy—alongside those of Merab Amongin and Christine Akello—due to alleged inconsistencies in documentation, a move that left Speaker Among to run unopposed.

Both Otai and Akol stand firm in their belief that the 2026 general elections in Bukedea must be competitive, inclusive, and truly democratic. They argue that the seat of Woman Member of Parliament is not the preserve of any individual, no matter how powerful.

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