The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Lira, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Betty Amongi, the Gender, Labor, and Social Development Minister has showcased her motherly skills by grinding millet on a traditional grinding stone, winnowing grains, making Lango peas soup commonly known as apena agira, and carrying a baby on her back; all demonstrating how well she will take care of Lira City.
This was after she officially registered as a voter in Lira City East Division, marking the beginning of her quest for the City Woman parliamentary seat. Amongi, who serves as the incumbent Oyam South Parliamentary seat was accompanied by her husband and the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party president, Jimmy James Michael Akena, and hundreds of party supporters who painted Lira City red.
From her residence in senior quarters, Amongi’s fleet moved to Senior Quarters A where she registered and relocated her polling station from Akaidebe, Minakulu Sub County in Oyam District to Lira City Senior Quarters A. She later held a massive procession through Lira City before addressing a mega rally at Lira City mayor’s garden. Amongi described this as confirmation to her supporters in Lira City that she will be contesting against Health Minister Dr. Jane Aceng Ocero.
Her dream, she said, is to address the economic struggles among women and what she termed as the “political and religious divide” among the people of Lira City.
Akena says the party is working on reviving Uganda. Adding that Lira City is a UPC stronghold and if President Museveni wishes to have a discussion with him, he is ready to meet.
A section of NRM supporters under their slogan “NRM for Amongi” is drumming support for Amongi. Geoffrey Etwop, the Lira City NRM treasurer, says supporting Amongi is not political because the city needs a leader like her.
“The votes we are giving Amongi are non-partisan but we are voting for an individual. We are happy because this girl (Amongi) is Lango original so I want all Lango to know that if you believe because you are somehow and think you are strong, Lango is stronger than you.”
Similarly, NRM’s Francis Okello Opio alias Dano Abor, a presidential advisor confirmed NRM’s support for Amongi and rallied her supporters to vote for President Museveni come 2026.
Translation: “The bible says everybody has a 40th day and you who voted for someone in 2021 will give that vote to Amongi Betty. My request to you is that you who are here now should go back to become Amongi’s campaign agents by telling people back at home that Amongi has won the election. So all of us from NRM are supporting Amongi Betty because once it was said that Warid and Airtel are the same so what’s left?”
Betty Amongi has been in parliament since 2001 when she was first elected the Apac woman, a position she held for two terms before crossing over to the Oyam South constituency in 2011. Being the directly elected MP, Amongi has served in the ruling NRM government in different ministerial positions including Minister of Kampala Capital City, and Minister of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development.
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