Nominations for MPs start today with West Nile, Lango and Teso having political storms brewing .
West Nile showdown
In Arua City Central Division, the incumbent, Mr Jackson Atima (NRM), who unseated Mr Kassiano Wadri in the 2021 General Election, is preparing for yet another bruising battle. Wadri, who served as Arua Municipality MP between 2018 and 2021 on the Independent ticket, has declared his intention to reclaim the seat with Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) party flag. Other contenders in the upcoming race include Mr Muzaid Khemis (FDC), currently the Central Division mayor, and Dr Ronald Debo (Ind). In Adjumani West Constituency, Uganda’s oldest serving politician and Second Deputy Prime Minister, Gen Moses Ali (NRM), will once again seek re-election. He faces a challenge from Mr Patrick Tandrupasi (FDC), the party’s former district secretary.
Lango battle of titans
In Lira City, a political storm is brewing as two Cabinet ministers prepare for a showdown. Ms Betty Amongi, the Gender minister and current Oyam South MP (UPC), is seeking to unseat Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, the minister of Health and the incumbent MP (NRM). Amongi, who has relocated from Oyam to Lira, has already hit the ground running, sparking intense competition. After she financed the rehabilitation of a road in Lira City West Division that had been impassable for nearly 40 years, the city authorities responded by banning all politicians from carrying out road repairs, citing political interference.
Tensions have further escalated after Amongi accused her opponents of defacing her campaign posters and banners in the city centre. Erute South Constituency, in Lira District, has veteran Sam Engola, the former minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, making yet another attempt to reclaim the seat he lost to UPC’s Jonathan Odur in 2016. Mr Engola, who also lost to Odur in the 2021 elections, petitioned the High Court in Lira to nullify Odur’s victory, but the court dismissed his case. In the 2021 polls, Odur won with 17,763 votes, defeating Engola, who polled 15,606. Two other Independents, Johnson A Orec and Caxtion Etii, managed only 787 and 328 votes, respectively.
In Apac Municipality, internal strife within the UPC party has turned the area into a battleground. Veteran politician Maxwell Akora, the current Maruzi County MP, has shifted base to Apac, where he is seeking to unseat Patrick Ocan, the incumbent MP and fellow UPC member. The rivalry between the two has already triggered chaos within the party. The UPC parliamentary primaries, initially scheduled for June 12, 2025, were suspended indefinitely by the Apac District Security Committee after violent clashes erupted.
When the primaries were rescheduled for June 24, 2025, the situation deteriorated further, with party members accusing local leaders of bias and manipulation of the voter register. Fights broke out between supporters of both Akora and Ocan, forcing the security agencies to intervene and halt the process once again. The intra-party turmoil has since pushed Mr Ocan to contest as an Independent, while Mr Akora remains the de facto UPC favourite.
Teso trouble spots
In Ngariam County, the State Minister for Sports, Mr Peter Ogwang (NRM), faces growing competition from within his party and beyond. Among those challenging him are Mr Daniel Mulalu, Mr Augustine Otuko, and several Opposition aspirants. In Amuria County, State Minister for Works and Transport Musa Francis Ecweru, who lost the NRM primaries to Mr Samuel Ediau, has declared his intention to run as an Independent.
The Bukedea Woman MP seat is also drawing sharp focus as several candidates prepare to challenge Speaker of Parliament Annet Anita Among (NRM). Those expected to contest include Mercy Marion Alupo (NUP), Norma Suzan Otai (FDC), and Hellen Odeke Akol (Ind]. In Serere District, the Woman MP race pits incumbent Ms Hellen Adoa Abeku (NRM) against several emerging challengers.
SOROTI CITY
In Soroti City West, newly elected NRM Vice Chairperson for Eastern Uganda, Mr David Calvin Echodu, is preparing to face off with Mr Jonathan Ebwalu (FDC) in another highly anticipated contest.