We are undressing ourselves for Acholi benefit—FDC MP Anthony Akol

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Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party Member of Parliament (MP) for Kilak North in Amuru district, Anthony Akol, has defended his crossover to the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party saying he is 'undressing himself for the benefit of Acholi region. He last week attended his first NRM parliamentary caucus at State House Entebbe. New Vision’s Umaru Kashaka briefly interviewed him on this and other related issues on February 26, 2025.

Why did you attend the NRM parliamentary caucus on February 21, 2025?

Because I am a full member of NRM now. On February 15, Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, came (to Amuru for a fundraising event) and dressed me in yellow (the NRM official colour). That happened after a series of discussions from September last year, which were all about the problems that Acholi has had for over 20 years in war without seeing anything serious that the Government is implementing to get the people out of poverty. 

So, we agreed with the Government on key issues to restore the Acholi sub-region, including a lump sum compensation of the livestock that was lost during the war, resolving land conflict in different parts of Acholi but majorly that of Apaa. We suggested a win-win solution to this Apaa land conflict, which is making Apaa a district of its own so that the districts of Adjumani and Amuru don’t claim it. 

On the issue of agriculture, we raised the issue of mechanisation and a four-acre model. We also suggested industrialisation to remove the 68% of the people of Acholi from poverty because Acholi’s highest contribution to the Ugandan government is poverty and that is very painful. So, I am now behaving like a pregnant woman. A pregnant woman in pain undresses when going to a medical doctor. She doesn’t fear the doctor. So, we are undressing ourselves for the benefit of Acholi.

And this arrangement was never to do with me as a person, but it’s about the conditions for Acholi. I didn’t ask for money; I didn’t ask for an appointment of myself, but I simply asked for things that can remove the Acholi region from poverty. It is a tough decision to make because many don’t believe it and some of my strong followers have been admitted to the hospital for the last one week but I explained to them and many of them are now coming up. I am getting a lot of calls from my constituency and from my district people who want to cross to NRM and also from different districts of Acholi and beyond. I am even getting calls from some people in central Uganda who want to cross to NRM based on what I have discussed.

Where does this leave FDC in Acholi?

I don’t want to talk on behalf of the FDC, but I think I have never been a simple force in the party because rising up to a level of shadow minister of finance for five years and currently chairperson of Acholi Parliamentary Group and also chairperson of West Nile, Acholi, Lango and Karamoja MPs is not that simple. 

I have seen them (FDC Najjanankumbi leaders) running around. Yesterday, they were running in Amuru trying to reorganise themselves, but it is not that easy; they started too late because of the confusion they caused. I was the one who was sponsoring all the FDC candidates in Amuru, paying their fees for nomination and posters among others. 

So, my work now is simple: to rally the people in Acholi sub-region and in Uganda at large to support NRM and that is what I am doing for the benefit of what we want to be delivered in the country. I want to join the table to tell the truth for the people of Uganda. 

There are many people who do not want to tell the truth. I am not saying NRM is very good, but I am saying: Can I contribute to correct some mistakes and plug some gaps from within because if you are dancing off the stage, you are not seen. You need to dance on stage and that is where you can be seen as a good dancer and that is what I will be doing in the near future.

Who played a big role in sweet-talking you into joining NRM?

The first person who started talking to me was the late [Speaker of Parliament] Jacob Oulanyah. He spoke to me and said: “You are dancing off the stage; come on the stage and dance”. 

Also, I got a call from the President [Museveni] on the day we were electing the Speaker of Parliament. He was also asking me to join NRM and wanted to appoint me to be the government Chief Whip but I told him: Your Excellency, you are not aware of the law (requiring MPs to join another party 12 months to the next elections). I am in FDC and so I can’t be a government chief whip. 

The chief government whip should be somebody who is an NRM.” And then the President requested me to recommend three people from West Nile, Acholi and Lango, which I did and he picked honourable Hamson Obua (Ajuri County MP) to be the government chief whip. So, it is a long story but at the end of the day, the midwife was the Right Honourable Speaker Anita Among and the truth of the matter (is that) she has been too good to all MPs. So don’t be surprised that we all subscribe to her in Parliament. She has helped the President of the Republic of Uganda and done a wonderful job.