Nakapiripirit District, Uganda – NRM councillor flag bearer for Moruita Sub-county in Nakapiripirit District, Mr. James Korobe, has demanded the withdrawal of the appointment of Mr. Loonye John Kiyonga as Assistant Resident District Commissioner (ARDC).
Korobe claims that Loonye, who identifies as an NRM cadre, has instead sponsored a rival candidate to unseat him—contradicting the NRM party’s principle of supporting its official flag bearers.
He alleges that Mr. Loonye is backing Mr. Richard Logwe Panyangara to challenge him in the upcoming national elections.
Korobe defeated Loonye by a wide margin during the July NRM primaries for the Moruita Councillor seat.
“I have been looking for the RDC for weeks now to deliver my petition. President Museveni, our party chairman, should intervene and revoke Loonye’s appointment,” Korobe said.
The current RDC, Ajilong Bessic Modestar a relative of Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among is currently in India for training. She replaced Mr. George Owanyi, who was removed under unclear circumstances immediately after the NRM primaries.
Some officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, questioned the rationale behind Loonye’s appointment as ARDC. They described it as irregular to appoint someone who lost in lower-level party elections and allegedly lacks the academic qualifications required for the position.
They claimed Mr. Loonye has never sat for the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE). According to Uganda’s Constitution, one must meet the qualifications of a Member of Parliament to serve as RDC or ARDC, this includes having at least a Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (Senior Six).
“There’s a mismatch here. How was Loonye appointed ARDC after being voted out in the July 23, 2025 NRM primaries? Did he resign from the ARDC role before contesting, as required?” one source asked.
In contrast, Mr. Augustine Modo, former Deputy RDC of Nakapiripirit, resigned his position to run for Member of Parliament for Dodoth East County in Kaabong District.
Mr. Loonye was appointed by President Yoweri Museveni on July 11, 2025, under reference ADM 144/220/01.
His appointment raises the number of RDCs in Nakapiripirit to four—unusual compared to other districts, which typically have a maximum of three.
When contacted, Minister for Karamoja Affairs Peter Lokeris expressed ignorance of Loonye’s appointment. He acknowledged that unplanned appointments could cause confusion and promised to follow up with the Office of the President to verify the matter.
When we contacted Faruk Kirunda, the Deputy Press Secretary to the President, for a comment, we couldn’t get him.
Observers have also questioned the removal of former RDC Owanyi, who was known for his strict oversight of government programs and anti-corruption efforts an approach believed to have rattled certain local political leaders. Owanyi also served as chief whip for the nine districts of Karamoja.
“Some political leaders were uncomfortable with Owanyi’s demand for accountability. They likely used their influence to sideline him. He was working to rectify irregularities involving a one-billion-shilling loss from the District Road Fund and discrepancies in the PDM allocations,” said a source.
Meanwhile, Mr. Loonye has been seen moving around the district with UPDF officers, trying to calm tensions among Karimojong cattle keepers who were evicted last month by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) from the gazetted Pian-Upe Game Reserve.
During a meeting held in Loreng on October 4, the aggrieved herders threatened to take up arms against UWA and vowed to vote against President Museveni if the government does not reverse its decision to deny them access to their traditional grazing land.
