After a meeting conducted two weeks ago at Senior Quarters “A” in Lira City East Division, a section of some LC ones who spoke to the Ankole Times newspaper after the meeting resolved to fully support Hon. Minister Betty Amongi Akena as a candidate for the Lira City Woman MP race in the upcoming 2026 general elections.
Hon. Amongi Betty Akena, currently the Oyam South representative in the 11th parliament and serving as the Minister for Gender, Labour, and Social Development, encouraged LC ones and Twos to be ambassadors of socio-economic transformation and wealth creation in the community they lead. Socio-economic transformation is key to wealth creation, as emphasized by the president.
Minister Amongi encouraged LCs to spread the gospel of wealth creation and to help the government of Uganda monitor various government program implementations such as PDM, Emyoga, YLP, UWEP, among other government programs.
In the meeting that led to an open discussion between the Local Council Ones and Twos of Lira City, several of them demanded that Hon. Betty Amongi declare her position on her candidature for the 2026 parliamentary race. Amongi, however, told them it is still time for work, and she will have a better answer and pronouncement on her candidature if the election period is declared by the election commission.
In other words, she said in a proverb that “if the bridegroom is marrying a new wife, he first consults the clan elders before taking the dowry to the Mother-In-Law’s place.”
In a bid to promote wealth creation and socio-economic transformation, Minister Amongi has promised to meet the leaders of LCs very soon and discuss a way forward to advise them on modern commercial methods of farming.
Hon. Minister pledged 10 million shillings for each SACCO of the Local Council for both Lira City East and Lira City West, respectively, totaling 20m UgX. She, however, assured the LCs of additional support to their SACCOs but urged them to always monitor government programs so that the right people benefit whenever there is any identification of beneficiaries in their respective cells or wards concerning government projects and programs.
One of the over 200 Local Council Ones and Twos who gathered in the meeting told The Ankole Times newspaper that it is just a matter of time for Amongi to go and represent Lira City in the 2026 Election because she has shown her commitment to the people of Lira City in several fundraising events and supporting churches and even the LCs associations.
A female Council One chairperson, of one of the cells in Lira City West Division, who preferred anonymity, refuted allegations that appeared in social media that 30 Police officers dispersed the meeting called by Hon. Amongi. She emphasized that it was false, as they ended the meeting peacefully, and all the LCs had lunch before departing at will around 3:00 PM after the meeting was officially closed by MP Lira City East Division Hon. Jimmy Michael Akena Obote.
LC1s and LC2s have to stay in office for another 180 days, as pronounced by the Ministry of Local Government Raphael Magezi.
Minister Amongi called for hard work and unity among all the LCs so that there is a smooth coordination of government programs in their different villages, cells, or wards. She noted that Lango as a region should learn to always forgive their children who are holding various offices if they wrong them, saying some leaders at lower levels in the City should coordinate with leaders at a higher capacity to promote development rather than interfering with their lines of duties to enforce unity and government policies in a particular government department.
