AMOLATAR, Uganda –– A wave of disappointment and criticism is sweeping through Amolatar District following a presidential campaign event on October 1st, with residents accusing their local National Resistance Movement (NRM) leaders of sidelining critical community issues in favor of personal and misplaced requests.
The visit by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to Amolatar Secondary School grounds was meant to be a platform for the district to present its most pressing needs. However, the event was overshadowed by allegations of financial mismanagement and a glaring disconnect between the people’s priorities and what their leaders presented.
The day began on a sour note when the President arrived at the venue to find a crowd largely devoid of the NRM party regalia typically seen at such rallies. This, residents claim, was the first sign of trouble, pointing directly at the district NRM Chairman, Mr. Kamilo Olwit.
Local sources allege that funds earmarked for mobilisation, including the provision of party T-shirts, were diverted for personal gain by Chairman Olwit. The visibly low-key reception has fueled anger and accusations of negligence against the party leadership.
Further allegations of financial impropriety were levelled at the Woman Member of Parliament, Dr. Agnes Atim Apea. Sandra Akullo, a resident of Agikdak sub-county, claimed that Dr. Apea received a donation of 10 million Ugandan Shillings from the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Anita Among, intended for refreshments for the attendees.
“We knew that the money donated by Among was going to be used for buying soda and biscuits, but to our dismay, we were not given anything,” Akullo stated. “Only 300 cartons of water, worth about 500,000 shillings, were bought for the people. Where did the rest of the money go?”
The deepest frustration among residents stems from the specific issues they expected their leaders to present to the President, which were conspicuously absent from the requests made.
· Health Infrastructure: Scovia Akello from Abeja sub-county expressed her shock that the urgent need to upgrade Amolatar Health Centre IV to a district hospital was not mentioned. “We thought the NRM chairperson would ask the President for a hospital, but the issue was completely ignored,” she said.
· Critical Infrastructure and Floods: Tonny Okello, a resident of Acii sub-county, highlighted the life-threatening situation at Ocombole. “We knew the leaders would present the issue of Ocombole floods, which is now impassable and needs a bridge. Nothing was presented, yet Ocombole is killing people,” he lamented.
· Road Network: Eunice Apio from Muntu sub-county was disappointed that the poor state of the Namasale to Dokolo road was not addressed. “We thought they would ask for it to be tarmacked or upgraded with first-class murram, but we were shocked to hear them asking for another ferry in Abeja to Kwania instead,” she said.
· Education: Local Council Three (LC3) Chairperson for Nalubwoyo sub-county, Yubu Ocen, said he expected a push for seed secondary schools in sub-counties without them. “I was shocked when the NRM party leaders asked for a technical school, leaving out the fundamental need for basic secondary schools in our underserved communities,” Ocen stated.
Attempts to get an official comment from both Mr. Kamilo Olwit and Dr. Agnes Atim Apea on these allegations were unsuccessful by the time of this publication. Their response to the residents’ claims is highly anticipated, as the controversy threatens to erode public trust in the district’s NRM leadership.
The events of October 1st have left a clear message from the people of Amolatar: they feel betrayed by leaders who, they believe, placed personal interest and irrelevant projects above the district’s most urgent and life-changing developmental needs.
