Six battle for Kasilo County

Six men have folded their sleeves for the Kasilo County race in Serere district. Elijah Okupa has been on the seat for the last 20 years.

The five who are attempting to stop Okupa from celebrating his silver jubilee of serving in Parliament are Moses Edonu of (NRM), James Emaju (FDC), Sam Enyutu (NUP) and indepedent canddates Sam Koluo and George Owanyi.

Okupa is currently the longest serving MP in the Teso sub-region, having joined elective politics in 2001. Before that, he was an employee at Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).

Okupa, who has been a member of the Forum for Democratic Change, fell out with his party and is contesting as an independent candidate.

"I was blocked by our district chairperson, together with Nandala Mafabi and Eng. Patrick Amuriat, yet I paid sh3m as a lifetime member. Blocking me will not stop me from being an FDC member," Okupa insisted.

Although he has been in the Opposition, some people in his constituency accuse him of hobnobbing with the National Resistance Movement (NRM).

"I have failed to understand his type of politics, but, all the same, I love him for standing with the Iteso by taking the Government to court over compensation," Santos Labeja, a PhD student of political Science in Nicosia University, Cyprus, said.

He likened the style of politics Okupa is engaged in to Jesus Christ's style of turning an ear to your enemy if attacked.

Labeja foresees Okupa engaged in an uphill task of winning over the hearts of the people he previously preached about FDC gospel.

"First mistake is for him to contest as an independent and, besides that, he is contesting for the fifth term, yet he has been in the camp preaching against overstaying in power," Labeja added.

Okupa said it is his people who have been re-electing him and that he has not been leading them by force.

All the attempts by NRM to field a candidate to oust Okupa in the previous four ocassions yielded no fruit.

Okupa's departure from FDC should cause a celebration in the NRM, but that is not the case.

Insiders in the NRM are saying internal conflicts in their party could hand victory to Okupa again.

Owanyi has been Okupa's political nemesis, until the recent primaries when Edonu defeated him to carry the NRM party flag.

Edonu is seen as a bigger threat to Okupa.

Emaju had an upper hand, being the only candidate coming out of his Kadugulu sub-county. Bugondo sub-county is the home of Okupa and two other candidates, including Edonu.

"We would have defeated Okupa this time as NRM if Owanyi had accepted to back the flag bearer.

His choice to contest as an independent is likely to divide our votes," a top NRM leader in Serere, who declined to be named, said.

Owanyi lost to Edonu with less than 50 votes during their primaries. That small margin gave Owanyi hope that he has the   support of the people.

Okupa boasts lobbying the Government to construct secondary schools in all sub-counties, rural electrification and now a ferry connecting Serere and Busoga.

"My performance in Parliament speaks for itself. In my tenure, I have helped 165 youth to join the Police, I have helped many to join the army and I have worked hard to rescue some of the children who were slaves in Arab countries," Okupa said.

Edonu, a former businessman, said the road network and quality of health services are poor, yet they have an MP who has been in the House for two decades.

"Other MPs have bought ambulances for their people since the Government cannot do that, but our MP is doing nothing.

His good debates in Parliament have failed to save the lives of our mothers who die because there are no ambulances to take them to hospital," Edonu said.

Emaju believes that the actions exhibited by Okupa and others who abandoned their parties is a sign of dishonesty.

"All the needs raised by my people shall be addressed once voted into office," Emaju said.

The people of Kasilo derive their livelihood from fishing, since they are largely surrounded by Lake Kyoga and are in need of a leader who can ensure their safety on the lake.

"Once our husbands leave for fishing, we are not sure whether they will return alive or dead because they are attacked on the lake. A leader who will assure us, women, about the safety of our men is the one I will give my vote," Ketty Ademun said.

Kasilo was split this year, after the creation of Pingire County.

Voters react

Anna Abeja: The next leader should consider urging the Government to reduce the age for elders to start benefiting from the Social Assistance Grant from 80 years to 60 years.

Bernard Odikor: We still have the challenge of the phone network that I want the next leaders to address, for better communication.

Deborah Akiteng: Women groups should be supported to help us develop our homes because, through that, we are able to start small businesses to sustain our families.