UGANDA: TWELVE ACHOLI OPPOSITION MPS EMBRACE RULING NRM PARTY IN THE NAME OF WINNING FAVOR FOR THEIR PEOPLE, OR IS IT FOR THEMSELVES?

Acholi MPS pose for a photo opportunity during their visit to President Yoweri Museveni (face-masked in white shirt), at State House, March 13. 2025 (Photo credit PPU).
For the last two months the opposition leaders from Acholi Sub-Region met Gen. Salim Saleh, President Yoweri Museveni’s half-brother and, the president’s first son Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba Chief of Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) in the Gulu 4th Division Barracks negotiating their exit from Uganda opposition parties. Each of the MPs allegedly pocketed UGX 100 million in typical opposition buy-offs ahead of Parliamentary and Presidential elections slated for Feb. 13, 2026.
However, scores of opinion leaders from Acholi Sub-Region including renowned Rev. Father Eric Uma, the Parish priest of Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Gulu City called them “acam ngwinya” literally meaning those seeking favour for their own stomachs in disregard for the people they represent.
“Those Members of Parliament, the MPs from Acholi Sub-Region who are getting billions of monies from lumpen NRM leaders in Bardege-Layibi Division must stop. “If my wife kneels down to beg for money from a lumpen, if I were married, I would give her a horse kick and break her ribs”.
“Ka onongo an anyome, ka anongo dako na ka gungu piny inyim lababa mo ka gamo cente onongo agweyo aturu lak ngete woko, ento wan padi pe wanyomo,” Rev. Father Uma shocked the congregation in a terse statement during his sermon at Holy Rosary Church on Sunday 16, March.
Gulu City-Monday, 17 March, 2025
By Okumu Livingstone Langol
On Thursday, March 13, 2025, twelve Acholi opposition MPs visited President Yoweri Museveni purportedly to put before him what they duped their constituents’ challenges that needed to be addressed, and as conditionalities to canvas votes for him (Museveni), and moreover, cross over from being in the opposition to the ruling NRM party of the president ahead of the presidential and parliamentary polls slated for Feb. 13, 2026.
Typical of the NRM party buy-offs of opposition, each of the MPs were allegedly awarded at least UGX 100m for their bold approach with a promise that the discussions will be followed through to conclusions.
Anthony Akol, the MP for Kilak South, Akello Lucy the Woman MP for Amuru District, Betty Aol Ocan, the Woman MP for Gulu City, Okin P.P. the MP for Chua West County; all of whom went to Parliament on the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party tickets but are now renegades of the same party were prominent attendants. Others were Okot Peter of the Democratic Party, the MP for Tochi County, Omoro District, Santa Okot the MP for Aruu North (People Progressive Party-PPP), and Ojara Martin Mapenduzi, (Independent but clearly NRM-leaning) the MP for Gulu City West.
Robinson Oryema aka Ogeri who intends to stand for the MP position for Gulu City West, who addressed Northern Uganda Media Club, (NUMEC) on the 15th March alleged that the cries of betrayal engulfed Acholi Sub-Region following the defection of the leading opposition Members of Parliament who in their quest to join the National Resistance Movement ruling party organ, offered President Museveni Aswa Ranch which is 1,000 acres.
Robinson Oryema decried what he dubbed as poor leadership at Bardege-Layibi Division saying “my brethren, we are not okay. “We have been having an opposition party Member of Parliament who was giving us full hope, but now you see what is happening”.
He continued; “All the leasehold land titles in Gulu City, including Bardege-Layibi Division head offices are expiring and they are waiting for the opportunity of the leasehold land titles to expire so that they (leaders) grab these lands and sell to investors”.
Robinson Oryema alleged that the land around Gulu Prison in Bardege-Layibi Division was grabbed by one of the MPs, and that the land opposite Kaunda grounds is being sold at UGX 800 million, the one opposite TASO, already with a storied building is lined up for sale.
Robinson Oryema Ogeri further stunned the press conference when he alleged that one of the MPs in Gulu City without naming had impregnated 53 girls while working at Gulu District Local Government.

Robinson Oryema Ogeri alleged that Hon. Martin Ojara Mapenduzi is unreliable since he has been switching alliances from being a member of the FDC party and later choosing to run as an independent MP in the 2021 polls while leaning towards the ruling NRM party and officially opted to join the NRM on Feb. 15, 2025. He claimed that Hon. Mapenduzi now wants the NRM party organ to allow him stand as an automatic NRM candidate in the Bardege-Layibi constituency without primary elections.
However, Robinson Oryema warned Hon. Mapenduzi that they were going to meet in the NRM party primary elections, as already reiterated by Richard Todwong, the Secretary General of the NRM party. Robinson Oryema Ogeri praised himself as a good orator not compared to the current 11th Parliamentary members from the Acholi Sub-Region who failed to articulate a single issue that affected the sub region in parliament.
Ogeri decried that under the current leadership watch, the city youth are steeped in poverty yet Ojara Martin Mapenduzi could have lobbied for over UGX 40 billion shillings to empower the urban youth.
“How many youths can get jobs and yet the MP is busy crossing to the NRM party, “I am not against the MPs from Acholi Sub-Region crossing to NRM party, but if they cross, they should cross with the majority”.
He accused the MPs from Acholi Sub-Region of plotting to let out 1,000 acres of Aswa land for an industrial hub without ample consultation with the people. He claimed that in a document served to the President concerning what they dubbed the needs of the Acholi, they had hidden their intention of letting out Aswa land in the footnotes.
Robinson Oryema Ogeri wondered on whose behalf the Acholi MPs talk indicating they are actually projecting their personal interests.
“My stand and position is for a revolutionary journey in 2026 showdown with Martin Ojara Mapenduzi. “Instead of defeating “Balaalo” land grabbers, now they are grabbing land. “If a person of the caliber of Oryema Robison Ogeri is still alive, Acholi land will not be grabbed, Ojara Martin is gone”, he added.
Ogeri, an historical and ardent supporter of the NRM party added, “We are going to tighten votes from Acholi Sub-Region come 2026 Parliamentary and Presidential polls in 2026 and weed out the self-seeking MPs.
Ogeri claimed that while the rest of the MPs were given UGX 100m each when they visited the leader of Operation Wealth Creation Gen. Salim Saleh recently, Hon Ojara Martin Mapenduzi lobbied for an additional UGX 46m, claiming his sick child needed treatment abroad, and so pocketed UGX 146m.
Ogeri asserted that the MPs should have focused on delivery of social services such as post-conflict recovery in the education sector that still lags far behind. He said it took the initiative of Acholi sons like Ambassador Olara Otunnu and Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo Chigamoi to come up with the dream of revamping traditional schools, as the lukewarm Acholi MPs looked the other way, yet they keep sending their children and siblings to the better schools in Central and Western Region of Uganda.
Ogeri went on to give Hon. Ojara Martin Mapenduzi 48 hours to come and clear himself on the issues he had raised against him with answers.

Robinson Oryema aka Ogeri an NRM cadre, flanked by NRM lady supporters addresses NUMEC members at their offices, March 15, 2025 (Photo by Okumu Livingstone Langol).
By the time of writing this report, Hon. Ojara Martin Mapenduzi could not be reached for comment but he later surfaced on Radio Mega Te yat programme claiming they mean well for the Acholi and thought the best way was to dialogue with the powers that be in the NRM party. However, phone in commentators, except one, insisted that the MPs are self-seekers and not having the Acholi at heart. They claimed the same demands about the Acholi needs have been lying on the desk of the ruling party for decades without being addressed and that the MPs are merely looking for money to foot the bills for their forthcoming 2026 elections. They warned that the strategy the MPs took will definitely backfire on them.
The Acholi have been decrying the none implementation of promised resettlement packages following their confinement in the IDP camps, no compensation for cattle looted during the war, land grabbing in Apaa, Aswa, Got Apwoyo, Achol-pii and occupation of Acholi land by migrants called Balaalo apparently backed by the state who acquire land titles in record time when the indigenous Acholi struggle to get such titles. They decry no transitional justice, with excuses that there is no policy in place. They now question the intention of the MPs if for all these while nothing has materialized on the Acholi demands. They wonder why the MPs cannot join forces with the Rocco Paco initiative that provides a good blue-print for revamping the glory of Acholi that is being spearheaded by the Chief justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo and former UN Secretary for Children Affairs Amb. Olara Otunnu.