The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, has asked President Yoweri Museveni to remove the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Betty Amongi, from the Lira City Woman Parliamentary race.
Among made the appeal on Thursday in Lira, where the President was concluding his campaign rally in the Lango sub-region. President Museveni, the NRM presidential flag bearer, had launched his campaign trail in Amolatar in October last year before temporarily suspending rallies in Kole and Lira to campaign in other parts of the country. He returned to Lira to conclude the regional engagements yesterday.
Amongi, who is contesting on the ticket of the Uganda People’s Congress, is facing off with the NRM candidate and Minister of Health, Jane Ruth Aceng, in the Lira City Woman MP race.
The Speaker urged the President to exercise his authority as the appointing authority to compel Amongi to step aside from the parliamentary contest. She argued that Amongi was using government resources provided by an NRM-led administration to politically fight the same party.
She emphasised that the ruling party would not tolerate such conduct, noting that party loyalty must be upheld, especially by those entrusted with government responsibility. According to Among, accepting an appointment under NRM comes with an obligation not to undermine the party’s political interests.
While acknowledging that some opposition members genuinely support the NRM and its ideology, the Speaker cautioned the President against being overly accommodating, warning that excessive leniency could be politically costly.
She concluded by praising the President for his patience and inclusive leadership, but stressed that the election period was a defining moment for identifying true allies. She rallied the people of Lango to turn out in large numbers to vote for President Museveni as a gesture of appreciation for the fulfilment of his pledges to the region.
Despite the pointed request, the President did not directly respond to the Speaker’s appeal during his nearly one-hour address. Instead, he focused on highlighting the NRM’s historical role in restoring peace and stability to Uganda, noting that national unity had been undermined in the past by sectarian divisions.
Earlier, the Minister of State for Sports, Peter Ogwang, called on voters in Lango to support Dr Jane Ruth Aceng. He praised her performance, saying she had delivered more tangible results for the region compared to other legislators.
Dr Jane Ruth Aceng has been serving her first term in Parliament since her election in 2021 as the Woman Member of Parliament for Lira City.
