The battle for Tororo Municipality has intensified, with job creation, vocational skills training and education emerging as the defining issues of the 2026 parliamentary race.
The contest has drawn a crowded field of six challengers: Odaka Asuman Marijan (NEED), Valentine Owor (NUP), Shyam Tanna (Ind), Annette Nandala Kimbowa (Ind), Edward Okware (Ind) and Patrick Ochom Oguta (Ind)-seeking to unseat incumbent MP Yeri Apollo Ofwono, who is bidding for a fourth term.
Ofwono told supporters that Tororo voters face ‘two things to do in the 2026 general elections’-to ‘massively vote for President Museveni’ and return him as MP.
He insisted the municipality has ‘valid reasons’ to back the president, pointing to Museveni’s recent executive proposal to elevate Tororo Municipality to city status.
The incumbent also cited his personal contributions to ‘places of worship, schools, communities and social groups,’ saying these efforts have driven local transformation.
‘I’m a man of action and all my actions speak for themselves and I promise to do more if re-elected,’ he said.
But independent candidate Shyam Tanna, widely viewed as the main challenger, has placed education and practical skills at the centre of his message.
He promised to expand vocational training for young people unable to afford formal schooling.
‘I will support skills development for those who can’t afford pursuing formal education so that they can be able to acquire life skills to earn a living,’ he said.
Speaking at a rally at Tororo Children’s Lions Park, Shyam recently urged voters to rally behind him, pledging to push policies targeting poverty, disease and ignorance.
He also vowed to strengthen emergency health services by supporting the acquisition of an ambulance for every division.
‘I am not coming to start from scratch,’ he said, adding: ‘Our family has laid a strong foundation in Tororo Municipality. My goal is to build on that to modernize, expand, and bring in new opportunities using the knowledge and networks I have gained.’
Independent candidate Annette Nandala Kimbowa has framed her run around women and youth empowerment, saying she will use her personal savings to help groups access start-up capital.
‘I decided to join this mental dominated seat to show them that women are tired of promises but to deliver services,’ she said.
Other contenders, Odaka Asuman Marijan (NEED), Valentine Owor (NUP), Edward Okware (Ind) and Patrick Ochom Oguta (Ind), have also centred their campaigns on job creation, education and community uplift, positioning the race as a test of who can best respond to Tororo’s economic pressures.
The parliamentary contest unfolds as Uganda prepares for its General Election on January 15, 2026.