A group of opposition supporters in Oret Parish, Puranga Sub-county, have publicly declared their support for the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and pledged allegiance to Eng. Raymond Luwita, praising his leadership vision and reevaluating their earlier stance against the ruling party and President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
The shift in allegiance came during a community meeting where Luwita engaged residents on service delivery, leadership accountability, and youth empowerment. Alol, a former opposition supporter, admitted that they had long viewed the NRM party and President Museveni as the problem, but now realized the real issue lay with dishonest local leaders they had elected.
“We thought NRM was the enemy, but the real problem is with some leaders we voted for—those who pretended to be independent but were never NRM. After listening to Luwita, I am ready to support him after party primaries,” Alol stated, dressed in a yellow shirt symbolizing his shift to the ruling party.
Another resident, Okwir, warned locals against choosing manipulative and exploitative individuals. He urged voters to look beyond clever rhetoric and instead focus on character and honesty. “There are people who speak well, but their intentions are selfish,” he said. Okwir also cautioned parents to stop misleading their children politically.
Juspher Ocira, a former NRM supporter who had defected to the opposition confessed that his departure stemmed from the party fronting incapable and corrupt candidates. However, he said Luwita’s speech reignited his faith in the NRM’s mission and urged locals to elect leaders based on integrity, not handouts. “People are denied services because they vote for corrupt leaders,” he said. “Let’s stop selling our votes.”
Youth leaders also voiced strong support for Luwita. Alex Ochom commended him for showing the capacity to do what the current leadership had failed to achieve. He advised Luwita to choose trustworthy campaign agents.
Eng. Raymond Luwita welcomed the backing from both NRM and opposition supporters. He reiterated that the challenges in service delivery are not due to NRM or the President, but rather poor leadership at the local level.
“The central government sends one billion shillings annually for road maintenance. This is the same across districts, but look at the difference in road quality. Leadership matters,” Luwita said.
He pledged to fulfill all commitments in his manifesto he will publicly announce, and expressed optimism that with growing grassroots support, meaningful change is within reach. “I am ready to serve, and together we can build a better Aruu County,” he concluded.
Eng Luwita is set to run in NRM party primaries against the incumbent, Christopher Komakech who recently joined the party, though he came as an Independent in 2021. Whoever wins, will faced the district’s longest served legislator who worked for almost 20 years, Samuel Odonga-otto.
