Families storm Opposition leader’s home demanding food aid

Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Over 100 starving families in Gulu Municipality stormed the home of Betty Aol Ocan, the Leader of Opoosition (LOP) Sunday afternoon demanding for relief food.

The affected people including pregnant women, youth, children, the elderly persons from across the four Divisions of Laoo, Pece, Bardege and Layibi flocked Aol’s residence along Lasto Oketch road in Senior quarters pleading for her help.

Their plea comes barely a week after the LOP delivered 500 kilograms of rice and other foodstuffs to help vulnerable Muslim families in Gulu Municipality.

Betty Akumu, an elderly woman from Bargede division said she decided to pay an impromptu call to Aol because she has lost hope in the government food distribution program. Katarina Oyella, a resident of Pece division and a single mother of four told URN that the extended lockdown by President Yoweri Museveni only favors the rich and spells doom for ordinary citizens.

Geoffrey Oceng, a concerned resident of Gulu town argues that many people might continue to go to the residences of their leaders because of starvation resulting from the delayed government response to the needy.

Aol told URN that she was overwhelmed by the impromptu visit by the vulnerable families, saying she had to empty her food store to help the families.

Earlier, the Gulu district Covid-19 taskforce led by Maj. Santo Okot Lapolo who also doubles as the Resident District Commissioner made an appeal to well-wishers and development partners to donate more food relief to rescue starving families.

The task force has also distributed food relief to at least 1,000 vulnerable families in and around Gulu Municipality. Government commenced a food relief distribution in April specifically targeting vulnerable families in Kampala and Wakiso districts.

The program targets at least 1.5 million Ugandans affected by the ongoing nationwide lockdown.

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