Lira, Uganda | NRM’s Erute South County MP flagbearer, Sam Engola, intensified his campaign on Friday with rallies in Ajia and Bar-Ober, Itek Subcounty, where several local leaders criticised the constituency’s current representation and urged voters to choose a candidate with stronger links to government.
Addressing supporters, Robert Okodia, the Chairperson of the Engola’s Task Force, said this election should be a moment of accountability.
He argued that voters had sent people to Parliament who had not delivered and insisted that Engola would secure a place in the NRM caucus where national decisions and resource allocations are made.
According to him, this would ensure that Erute South benefits from the “national cake”.
A notable group of UPC members from Amach, Itek, Bar and Wiodyek subcounties attended the rally, signalling a shift in the political mood.
Oyuku Kenneth, who said he had supported UPC’s MP Jonathan Odur for a decade, told the gathering that he had seen no tangible work from the incumbent, especially regarding borehole repairs and road maintenance.
He urged residents to rethink their suffering and vote for President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and Sam Engola to bring development to the constituency.
Eng. Fred Apita, known for his work on water and road rehabilitation, criticised the current MPs, Jonathan Odur (Erute South) and Agnes Linda Auma (Lira District Woman MP), for allegedly failing to improve roads despite both serving on the national roads committee.
Apita said Erute South’s long-held dream of attaining district status would only succeed through Engola’s influence at the national level.
At the youth-focused segment of the rally, Lincoln, a rider, said that during Engola’s earlier term in Parliament, motorcycle loans were as low as UGX 4 million.
He complained that riders were now paying over UGX 10 million for similar loans and asked Engola to restore affordable credit for young people.
Lira District RDC, Lillian Eyal, described Engola as a “sure deal” for a future ministerial appointment and said he is the only candidate capable of helping President Museveni consolidate national achievements.
She assured residents of maximum security during the election period and encouraged them to vote for Museveni, Engola, and all NRM flagbearers.
Geoffrey Etwop, Ober Clan Chief, said at 61 years of age, he had lived through multiple governments, including the Obote era, and maintained that Museveni had given Uganda unprecedented levels of peace.
He praised Engola as a respected national figure and recounted how Engola once intervened when NEMA attempted to evict him from land in Lira City.
Etwop pledged to work with Engola on rehabilitating the Odit Bridge in Amach and the Pem-Aler Bridge in Itek once Engola is elected.
When he took the podium, Sam Engola said he had come “in peace” and would not attack fellow contestants.
He dismissed claims that he was using government machineries and resources to repair roads, calling it mere propaganda.
Engola revealed that following his engagements with the Ministry of Energy, the government had allocated UGX 2.4 billion for electrification projects in the constituency, and support he said would boost local businesses such as welding and salon operations.
He emphasised that with over 300 NRM MPs in a Parliament of aboùt 500, opposition legislators wield little influence over government decisions.
Engola said this makes it crucial for Erute South to be represented from within the ruling party if development is to reach the constituency.
Engola further disclosed that through coordination with Lira District LCV Chairperson RCM Okello Orik, he is confident that President Museveni would endorse the creation of Erute District during his campaign visits to the district.
He added that his strong connections with cabinet ministers make it easier for him to secure development projects.
He also claimed to have secured over 100 water projects from JJ Water NGO, and highlighted his track record of support for churches, schools, and scholarships, saying 350 Lango students had studied under his sponsorship, with at least 60 now serving as medical doctors.
Engola told voters he is returning to finish the development work he had started and called on the people of Erute South to elect him and President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in January 2026.
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