Dear Honorable Akol and Mapenduzi,
I
write to you not only as members of Parliament but as sons of Acholi, a region
that has endured significant poverty and underdevelopment under the current
regime. Recent news reports have suggested that you both have defected to the
National Resistance Movement (NRM) party. However, some of your critics claim
that you both joined the NRM some time ago and that it is only now that you
have made your defection public. Whether this defection occurred recently or
some time ago, I believe it is a moment that deserves reflection, especially
for two individuals who have long been part of the Acholi people’s struggle.
For decades, the Acholi people have faced unimaginable suffering. From the brutal retaliatory killings by the NRA after Museveni took power in 1986 to the devastating war between the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the Ugandan government, our people have endured. The IDP camps meant to provide security, turned into traps where disease, hunger, and despair claimed lives. Generations grew up with the scars of these experiences, while unresolved post-conflict challenges, poverty, unemployment, land disputes, land grabbing, and development inequality between the North and the South continue to haunt us.
In
these dark times, we relied on leaders like you to speak up. You were among
those who courageously stood against oppression, land grabs, and the neglect of
northern Uganda in the national development agenda. You were our voices in
Parliament, reminding the world that we had suffered enough and that we
deserved better. But now, seeing you walk the path of those who have ignored
our pain, are grabbing our land, and failed to deliver justice for our people
feels like a deep betrayal.
This
is not the first time we’ve witnessed a defection to the NRM. Back in 2011, Mwaka
Emmanuel Lutukumoi, an Acholi who had once been a prominent member of the
Democratic Party (DP), switched to the NRM. He claimed that he had been
frustrated by the party leadership and had no choice but to join the ruling
party. A close friend of mine, Patrick, predicted that his political career
would be over. Sadly, it seems Patrick's words were prophetic.
Lutukumoi
was welcomed by the NRM to help them score political points and gain a foothold
in Acholi, a region still wary of the ruling party. Lutukumoi was subsequently appointed
Deputy Resident District Commissioner in Lira and later in Kitgum. Some reports
even suggest he was offered the RDC position in Lira, which he reportedly declined.
Despite serving these roles in the NRM, some long-serving NRM party members
never entirely accepted Lutukumoi. They saw him as a political opportunist,
lacking true commitment to the party’s ideals. Lutukumoi appeared to be
frustrated with the NRM. He later left Uganda for the USA and tried to revive
his political career as an independent candidate in the 2021 Parliamentary race
for Laroo-Pece Division in Gulu City, but he failed.
Mr.
Akol and Mr. Mapenduzi, your defection echoes Lutukumoi’s in many ways. Once
champions of the Acholi cause, now you stand with the very government that has
caused so much pain to our people. Have you truly had a change of heart, or is
this merely a political move to secure your future? What has changed? Has
President Museveni suddenly become a leader who listens to the cries of
northern Uganda and the Acholi people? Has he stopped the strategic engineering
behind the grabbing of Acholi land? Has he offered any apology for the
suffering we endured? Has he ensured that those responsible for the atrocities
committed during the NRA and LRA conflicts are brought to justice? The answer,
sadly, is no.
As
the 2026 General elections in Uganda loom, one can’t help but wonder: will you
manage to return to Parliament on an NRM ticket? It seems unlikely. Will you
rise to any significant position within the NRM or the government? The chances
are slim. Can you secure resources for your constituencies, as you
claim? It’s doubtful. And will you be able to convince the NRM government to
hold accountable those who perpetrated crimes against our people during the
wars? The answer to that is, unfortunately, no.
As
you settle into your seats on the yellow bus, take a moment to think about
Lutukumoi’s story. His move to join the NRM ended in disappointment and
destroyed his political career. He couldn’t find a balance between the NRM and the real interests of the Acholi people. Many long-serving NRM party members never
considered him a true NRM, nor was he a real representative of the Acholi
community. Could the same fate that affected Mwaka Lutukumoi over ten years ago
come back to haunt you? That’s what we’re all waiting to see in your political
journeys. I can only hope that you will not find yourselves abandoned by
history and the people you once claimed to represent.
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