Rev Fr Charles Onen, the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for Laroo-Pece Division in Gulu City, is facing the toughest political battle of his career yet as Justice Minister Norbert Mao joins five other contenders in a heated race for the seat. Fr Onen entered Parliament in 2021 after defeating five candidates to become the first MP for the newly created constituency. His rivals then included Mr Caesar Lubangakene (NUP), Mr Geoffrey Komakech (FDC), Ms Nancy Atimango (NRM), Mr Charles Odokonyero (Independent), and Mr Simon Opoka (DP).
The 2021 contest came less than a year after Gulu Municipality was elevated to city status and divided into two constituencies-Laroo-Pece and Bar-Dege-Layibi-both of which were won by independents. Now, four years later, the Laroo-Pece seat has become a political hotspot once again as Mr Mao throws his hat back into the ring. The former Gulu Municipality legislator and one-time district chairperson says he wants to ‘restore sanity to leadership in Acholi Sub-region.’
Mao’s return to the hustings
In July 2023, Mr Mao had dismissed claims that he intended to run for Parliament again. ‘I am not eyeing the Laroo-Pece Division MP seat. I am focused on leading Uganda as president. My only dream is to get to the highest office of the land,’ he said at the time. ‘The reports that I want to be an MP for a seat in Gulu are made up,’ he added. However, on October 22 this year, Mr Mao appeared at the Gulu City Electoral Commission offices and was officially nominated as the second aspirant in the race.
Speaking to journalists shortly after his nomination, Mr Mao described himself as ‘a good midwife, hunter and philosopher who delivers transition.’ ‘In the whole of northern Uganda, I am the only capable leader who is ready and has the capacity to lead Uganda,’ he declared. ‘The trust people will put in me will empower me to sit in the presidential chair. Have hope in this election. If you are electing someone, elect someone who is a good ‘hunter’ so that we can move the country forward,’ he added. Mr Mao was openly critical of current leaders in the Acholi Sub-region, accusing them of underperformance. ‘Being nominated as an aspirant for MP does not mean that I have tracked back.
On the contrary, I am moving forward. I am like a good midwife. I will deliver. I am not happy about the quality of leadership in the Acholi sub-region. It is too low,’ he emphasised. The minister, who has contested for the presidency three times but never polled above 3 percent nationally, also alluded to his role in President Museveni’s political strategy. ‘I am the one who wrote the ideas that are framing the current debate about the President. I am campaigning for Museveni. There are only two sides: those who want violence and those against it,’ he said.
Undisclosed secrets
Mr Mao hinted at undisclosed aspects of DP’s cooperation with the ruling NRM. ‘Our cooperation with the NRM has a lot of secrets in it that I will not reveal. I only ask people to trust me with their votes. I am a capable leader. People should relax-the truth will come out. I am like a respected philosopher. People should have hope,’ he added. Despite his re-entry into local politics, Mr Mao maintained that ‘elections alone will not bring change in Uganda.’ He argued for dialogue instead. ‘We have DP, JEEMA, and the Democratic Front in talks with the President. They are telling him that changing the government through struggle is not acceptable. Some people are interested in going to State House but are not part of the discussion,’ he added.
Fr Onen, meanwhile, remains confident that despite Mr Mao’s political experience, he is better suited to represent Laroo-Pece. Identifying as a pro-poor leader, he believes his record in Parliament distinguishes him from other politicians in the sub-region, whom he accuses of serving parties instead of the people. ‘I am here to break the vicious cycle of political patronage in Acholi Sub-region,’ he said. ‘Political patronage will reduce the Acholi to mere spectators. Today, leaders are not being born from the community, but manufactured from the well-polished compounds of certain hotels and lodges,’ Fr Onen said. He accused many politicians of benefiting from these arrangements, branding independent candidates as rebels. ‘Loyalty is the currency of political patronage. Being independent is seen as rebellion.
I have opened myself-I do not have a godfather. My godfather is the community,’ he stressed. He vowed to continue his political journey. ‘The journey I started in 2021, I will continue until the end,’ he said. Fr Onen also defended his transition from priesthood to politics. ‘Many think priests only undergo theological training to sharpen their knowledge of the Bible and do the work of God. But priests are trained in nearly all disciplines, including law, surveys and sciences,’ he explained. He said he has no regrets about leaving the altar. ‘Living outside the church has not been a challenge. What I have done, the Hansard of Parliament has the record.
The community also has the record. So you can go to both and find out what I have done,’ he said. On whether he plans to return to the priesthood, he responded, ‘We will cross the bridge when we reach the river.’ Although Mao remains a household name in northern Uganda, data from the Electoral Commission shows that his popularity has declined over the years and is now largely confined to Gulu District. In the 2011 presidential election, he garnered 148,170 votes nationwide (1.8 percent), with 82,781 of those votes (6.24 percent) coming from northern Uganda. He performed best in Gulu, earning 44.29 percent of the vote, followed by Museveni with 26.85 percent.
In neighbouring Kitgum, however, Mr Museveni secured 38.93 percent to Mr Mao’s 8.04 percent. After skipping the 2016 elections, Mr Mao’s 2021 presidential run saw his national vote share drop sharply to 57,682 votes (0.56 percent). In the north, his support halved again-from 82,781 votes in 2011 to just 40,688 (2.28 percent). In Gulu and Kitgum districts, his tallies dwindled to 11,223 and 1,342 votes, respectively.
Other contestants
Besides Fr Onen and Mao, five others have joined the race: lawyer Tonny Kitara (NRM), Mr Simon Opoka (UPC), Mr Caesar Lubangakene, Mr Charles Odokonyero, and Mr Wilfred Opobo-all independents. Mr Lubangakene and Mr Odokonyero are making their second attempt, while Mr Opobo is a newcomer. Mr Opoka, who contested under DP in 2021 but has since joined UPC, accused his former party leaders of betrayal.
‘You cannot sell your people. And the motive to sell your people is barren. Any weapon formed against our people shall never prosper. You can be in front of me, but you will never stand in my way,’ he declared. He also criticised Mr Mao’s dual role as minister and party leader. ‘If you are a minister, it does not require you to be an MP as well to serve the people,’ he said. Mr Kitara of NRM pledged to restore trust between leaders and the electorate.
‘I want to restore hope in the hearts of our people. For a long time, leaders have not delivered to their expectations,’ he told journalists after his nomination. Mr Lubangakene, Mr Odokonyero, and Mr Opobo vowed to improve service delivery, tackle urban poverty, and uplift education standards.