On Thursday, Sarah Aguti of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party emerged winner of Dokolo District Woman Member of Parliament by-election beating National Resistance Movement and other parties with 23,044 votes.
Aguti beat five candidates in this by-election; Dr. Rosemary Alwoc Ogwal, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party flag bearer who is also the daughter of the deceased legislator Cecelia Ogwal, Janet Rose Adongo Elau of NRM, Harriet Ageno of the National Unity Platform (NUP), Dr. Esther Akullo Obot Otada and Rebecca Arao- both independents.
On polling day, the residents of Dokolo chose a UPC candidate in spite of the considerable efforts made by the leaders (Robert Kyagulanyi) for NUP and Gen Yoweri Museveni for NRM to turn out the vote throughout their campaigns. The selected candidate Aguti proudly wore a crimson gomesi emblazoned with pictures of Apollo Milton Obote, signifying Lang’s past loyalty to the UPC.
On July 6, 2023, UPC candidate Dr. Apio Otuko Eunice won the by-election in Oyam County North, receiving 15,718 votes out of a total of 7,498 polled. With 15,176 votes, she barely defeated Samuel Engola Okello of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Party, her closest rival.
With this win, UPC was able to take over that seat left empty by the late Hon. Charles Engola.
Tensions were high during that by-election when Jimmy Akena, the leader of the UPC party, and Dr. Tango Odoi, the NRM chairman for elections, nearly collided. The NRM may have used intimidating techniques, but UPC prevailed. It’s interesting to note that this time, the relatively unknown UPC candidate won—as opposed to past elections where voters tended to favor the children of dead MPs. The significant shift in voter mood toward UPC in these elections is highlighted by this comparison.
These two by-elections are significant because they highlight the amount of work UPC has been doing with diligence lately. It’s becoming more and more clear that UPC could return to its historical hegemony in the area in the next election, making the area more like the “red region” it was in the 1960s. Driving out blue and yellow.
In the past, UPC has been a party that is firmly ingrained in the Lang region and provides a platform that speaks to the goals and beliefs of the populace. Nevertheless, the party’s once-dominant strongholds were severely tested and, in many cases, undermined with the rise of the NRM and FDC. The NRM’s assertion of its supremacy caused a seismic upheaval in the political landscape, which resulted in the UPC losing ground and influence in these areas.
Nevertheless, in the face of these obstacles, UPC has proven incredibly resilient and determined to retake its lost territory. The party has regained traction in its traditional strongholds through persistent grassroots mobilization efforts, strategic alliances, and a revitalized dedication to its core values.
In addition, the UPC’s comeback represents a larger realignment in the political system by providing people with a strong alternative to the predominance of established parties. The party is creating the foundation that was once lost and the people of Long it seems have also woken up to support their own regional party other than jumping on new parties like FDC, NUP and NRM.
It is clear from analyzing the outstanding victory margins of UPC candidates in the most recent by-elections that the party is making great progress in regaining its lost territory. According to this pattern, UPC may become a strong candidate in the Lang region’s next general election, endangering other political players.
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