One woman dares 73 male candidates in Kitgum LCIII Chairperson race

KITGUM - As Uganda prepares for the LCIII chairperson elections scheduled for February 4, 2026, Kitgum District voters' nominations have revealed gender imbalance in local political contests. 

Of the 22 electoral areas in the district, only one woman, Jennifer Amono Opira, has been nominated to contest for an LCIII chairperson position.

Using a pot as her political symbol, Opira is running as an independent candidate in the Central Division of Kitgum Municipality.

She is the sole female contender among 74 candidates competing for 22 LCIII seats across two town councils, three municipal divisions, and 15 sub-counties, highlighting the persistent underrepresentation of women in local leadership.

A breakdown of party affiliations shows that the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has fielded candidates in all 22 electoral areas within Kitgum District and Municipality. 

The Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) and the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) have each nominated four candidates, mainly in a limited number of sub-counties, leaving 18 sub-counties without representation from either party.

A significant portion of the contenders—42 candidates—are running as independents, many of them former NRM incumbents who opted to stay in the race after losing in party primaries. 

The National Unity Platform (NUP) has also entered the contest with two candidates: Charles Ocaya, the party’s Kitgum Municipality chairperson, contesting in Pager Division, and Richard Oyet Afuta, running in Kitgum Matidi Town Council.

Other political parties, including the Democratic Party (DP), People’s Freedom Front (PFF), People’s Progressive Party (PPP), and Democratic Forces (DF), have not fielded any candidates for the LCIII chairperson races in the district.

Several contests are shaping up as tightly fought races.

In the Pandwong Division, incumbent Ben Bob Paul Ayoli is seeking re-election on the NRM ticket, facing three challengers. In the Central Division, another NRM incumbent, Godfrey Toolit, is competing against Opira and Regan Nokrach of UPC, who also serves as Speaker of Kitgum Municipal Council.

In Pager Division, former LCIII chairperson Santo Morish Oyoo of FDC vacated his seat to contest for municipal mayor, a race he later lost to Richara Okwera Ojara. 

In Orom Sub- County, incumbent Johnson Toodera Acellam exited the race after losing the NRM primaries to Charles Obwona, who now faces competition from Quirino Olum, a former LCIII chairperson running as an independent, as well as Joseph Odokonyero and Jimmy Acaye, both independents.

In Orom East, veteran incumbent Nelson Bruno chose not to seek re-election, leaving a two-man race between Simon Lopeyo of NRM and Richard Ojara, an independent candidate.

Competition is also intense in Namokora Sub- County, where outspoken incumbent Geoffrey Opyet faces a strong challenge from Odongo Richard, the council speaker running on the NRM ticket, alongside independents Michael Omony, Christopher Oryem, and Polycap Odoch. 

In Namokora Town Council, the defeat of incumbent Kenneth Nyero in the NRM primaries has opened the race to several independents—Christopher Tabu Ayaru-Moi, Robert SK Ocana, and Albert George Obwoya—who will challenge Johnson Arop, the NRM flag bearer and current secretary for health and education.

As of the time of filing this report, polling materials had not yet arrived at the district electoral commission offices, with election supervisors from all 22 electoral areas awaiting deployment, adding urgency and tension as polling day approaches.