Ministers in Acholi retain NRM party flags

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All cabinet ministers from the Acholi sub-region have won their respective constituencies in the concluded National Resistance Movement (NRM) primaries, New Vision online has learned.

They include Eng. Hillary Onek, the Minister for Disaster Preparedness and Relief from Palabek County in Lamwo; Beatrice Atim Anywar, the State Minister for Water and Environment; Beatrice Akello, the Minister of State for Economic Monitoring in the Office of the President and Aggao Woman MP; and Lillian Aber, who is also the Minister for Disaster Preparedness and Relief and the Kitgum Woman MP.

In Lamwo district, the parliamentary seat for Woman MP drew four candidates. Incumbent Nancy Achora Odonga secured victory with 21,751 votes. Molly Lanyero, the former MP for Lamwo district during the 10th parliament, received 9,357 votes.

Jane Aciro Opio, who previously contested for the Woman MP position in Kitgum district (NRM) ticket in 2011 but lost to Beatrice Atim Anywar (FDC), shifted her focus to Lamwo, earning 1,389 votes in this race. Lastly, Nancy Lamunu, who has a medical background, garnered 2,515 votes.

In Palabek County, incumbent Eng. Hillary Onek, the minister for disaster preparedness and relief, retained his seat in a tight race where he garnered 5,755 votes.

He was followed by his closest contender, Geoffrey Odongkara Obalim, who scored 3,955 votes in that same race. Prof. Charles Amone trailed with 1,076.

Coming to Lamwo County, a consistent NRM senior cadre, an entrepreneur and businessman, Johnson Nyeko, won in a landslide, garnering 16,560 votes, defeating the incumbent Dr. Anthony Okello Abukha, who scored 3,328 votes in the same race. Dr. James Abac scored 2,905, and Thomas Oketayot trailed with 2,190.

In the Chua West division of Kigum district, the race attracted three contenders. Simon Peter Oryema Adum emerged victorious, receiving the highest number of votes. He was followed by Eng. Allan Akena, who garnered 6,825 votes, and Ann Aisa Nagudi Okot, the former Miss Tourism Uganda, who received 3,115 votes.

Under Kitgum District, Chua East County, for the directly elected MP slot, the Foreign Affairs State Minister, Henry Okello Oryem, triumphed; he generated 13,741 votes, defeating his close contenders, retired Maj. Gen. Fredrick Tollit Ociti, who got a handful of 4,681 votes; Godfrey Luwo, the flag bearer, received 2,830; Johan Calvin Okoya got 4,823; while Richard Onencan Opee, the former political aide to Minister Oryem Okello, got 174 votes.

In the Kitgum district, the incumbent woman MP, Lillian Aber, who also serves as the Minister for Disaster Preparedness and Relief, won her seat by a landslide. She received 30,810 votes, significantly outpacing her opponents. Doreen Lakot followed with 9,558 votes, while Winifred Lanyero garnered 5,395 votes.

In Agago, a woman MP, Beatrice Akello, the minister of state for economic monitoring in the office of the president, also defeated her contender, Nancy Ajok Obita, who got 2,000 compared to the 74,000 garnered by Akello.

The results were announced by the NRM electoral officials in their respective districts.

Emmanuel Lapayem, the Kitgum district NRM chairman, appreciated the decision made by the various districts in Acholi for choosing to hand over the flag for their sitting ministers.

“The only basis of distinction to make was to retain all our sitting ministers and hand them the flag for the party,” he said.