Joseph Jones Ogwal Defies Internal Party Divisions to Win Dokolo North Parliamentary Seat

Dokolo, Uganda | Joseph Jones Ogwal has been declared the winner of the Dokolo North County parliamentary race following elections concluded on 15 January 2025, capping a campaign that had earlier been shaped by internal party divisions and intense multi-candidate competition.

Ogwal, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearer for the 2026–2031 parliamentary term, polled 8,845 votes, narrowly defeating Francis Ojok of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) who came second with 8,607 votes.

Alfred Junior Okello of the Democratic Front finished third with 5,543 votes, while the incumbent Member of Parliament, Moses Ogwal Goli, who contested as an Independent, placed fourth with 4,533 votes.

Other candidates included Josephine Acen (Independent) with 4,106 votes and Geoffrey Ebyeru of the National Unity Platform (NUP) who garnered 127 votes.

Two days before voting, an opinion poll had already pointed to Ogwal as the frontrunner in the Dokolo North contest.

The poll, conducted across all 43 parishes in the eight subcounties of the constituency, sampled at least 100 voters per subcounty, bringing the total number of respondents to not less than 800 voters.

The exercise was carried out by an independent intelligence team.

According to the aggregated findings, a race that had initially attracted six candidates had increasingly tilted in favour of the NRM flag bearer.

The poll placed Ogwal at 52.4%, far ahead of his challengers, with Moses Ogwal Goli (Independent) at 13.6%, Alfred Junior Okello (Democratic Front) at 12.8%, Francis Ojok (UPC) at 10.6%, Josephine Acen (Independent) at 8.9%, while Moses Ebyeru (NUP) trailed with 1.8%.

The survey indicated that Ogwal’s strongest support was concentrated in rural areas.

He commanded 90% support in Okwalongwen Subcounty, followed by Amwoma Subcounty at 75%, while also posting strong leads in Bata Town Council (71%) and Bata Subcounty (50%).

Ads

However, the race appeared more competitive in urban and semi-urban centres.

In Agwata Town Council, Alfred Junior Okello topped the poll with 40%, narrowly ahead of Ogwal at 37%, making it one of the few areas where the NRM candidate did not lead.

Similarly, Agwata Subcounty showed strong independent backing, with Moses Ogwal Goli leading at 38%, closely followed by Ogwal at 36%.

In Dokolo Subcounty, voter preference was fragmented, with Josephine Acen (Independent) leading at 30%, while Ogwal and Francis Ojok (UPC) were tied at 25% each. Moses Ebyeru (NUP) recorded his highest showing here at 13%.

Despite these pockets of competition, the overall trend from the poll suggested that Ogwal maintained a consistent advantage across the constituency a projection that was later reflected in the final election results.

The campaign was further shaped by the fallout from the NRM primaries.

Two aspirants who had earlier competed with Joseph Jones Ogwal – Alfred Junior Okello and Moses Ogwal Goli later returned to the race under different political arrangements, with Okello crossing to the Democratic Front and Goli contesting as an Independent.

The developments split party structures at the grassroots, with some mobilisers openly backing rival candidates, weakening coordinated party campaigning in parts of the constituency.

Despite the internal challenges, Ogwal conducted much of his campaign through personal coordinators and volunteer teams, rather than relying heavily on formal party machinery.

Political analysts say his manifesto, which focused on service delivery, infrastructure development, youth livelihoods and effective linkage to central government programmes, played a significant role in consolidating voter confidence.

While NRM secured Dokolo North, the party suffered defeat in Dokolo South County, where Vincent Opito of UPC defeated incumbent Felix Okot Ogong (NRM).

Opito polled 18,024 votes, compared to Okot Ogong’s 11,161, while Egwau Julius of the Democratic Party (DP) obtained 54 votes.

In the Dokolo District Woman Member of Parliament race, incumbent Sarah Aguti Nyangkori (UPC) retained her seat after polling 36,720 votes, defeating Janet Adongo Elau (NRM) who garnered 18,659 votes.

Other contenders included Anna Okwir Bung (Independent) with 1,541 votes, Ruth Frances Atala (Independent) with 954 votes, and Gloria Akullo (DP) who received 487 votes.

Ogwal’s victory has placed him at the centre of political expectations in Dokolo North, with residents and local leaders viewing the legislator-elect as a key figure in restoring the constituency’s profile and pushing for tangible development.

Analysts say his ability to unify divided political actors and translate campaign pledges into measurable outcomes will define his performance during the 2026–2031 parliamentary term.