When Mr Rodney Akongel Mukula announced his intentions to contest for Soroti City East parliamentary seat as an independent candidate, the news that circulated like a sudden storm through the city left many in disbelief.
Born on August 27, 1985, Mr Akongel, the lastborn of the three children of Flt. Capt. George Mike Mukula, one of the region’s most prominent political figures and a long-serving stalwart of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, decided to break away from the family’s political tradition of chanting for the yellow party.
Mr Akongel Mukula, a lawyer by profession and a businessman by occupation, pointed out that he contested as an independent candidate because he was not comfortable with the process of determining flag bearers through party primaries and that he wanted to be elected on merit.
‘If you were to put yourself in my shoes, what would you do?’ Mr Akongel asked.
Adding, ‘My father was the national vice chairperson of the NRM party Eastern region, and if I were to win the flag, what would my opponents and critics say? And if I were to miss the flag, what would they say? I guess they would say, I was supported by my father or if it’s to lose, they would say, the son is not popular,’ Mr Akongel said.
He pointed out that his candidacy as an independent without going through NRM primaries was because he never wanted to take part in the commercialised politics and spend through his nose in exchange for votes.
Mr Akongel believes in a three-pillar political ideology of economic empowerment to his electorate, social service delivery and good governance for accountable, inclusive and proactive leadership.
He condemned the commercialisation of politics and said that the city’s electorate has been facing gaps in leadership.
‘I am against the commercialisation of politics and in my tenure as a politician, I want to empower the electorate to live sustainably.’
Often donned in a white shirt and black trousers in his public appearances, many, including his political rivals, were left in disbelief, questioning why the son of the region’s top-most NRM mobilisers abandoned and deviated from his father’s party to run for the parliamentary seat under an independent ticket.
The other candidates in the race are Pascal Amuriat of the Democratic Front (DF), Isaac Orego of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), James Herbert Elaju on an independent ticket, Martine Ernest Abilu, independent and Moses Attan of the Forum for Democrat Change (FDC).
Mr Mukula described his son’s aspirations as a positive gesture for development.