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We are ready to boycott voting for the National Resistance Movement ruling party (NRM), against the background, Chief of Defense Forces’ outburst calling Dr. Kenneth Omona, the state minister for Northern Uganda idiot because he is re-enforcing Presidential Executive Order Number 2, of 2025, evicting Balaalo migrants from the Acholi Sub Region
GULU CITY-TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2025.
By Okumu Livingstone Langol
The political atmosphere is charged in Northern Uganda against the backlog of unfinished business of Juba Peace Talks Agenda Numbers 3, the root cause of the Lord Resistance Army (LRA), conflict, which was not addressed, leading to Balaalo migrants from Western Uganda, seen by the Acholi community as occupation forces.
Sylvester Opira, the former Museveni ruling party NRM ally turned critic, called for the Acholi community to make a protest vote against Museveni’s NRM organ in the Parliamentary and Presidential election scheduled for February 13, 2026.
“I am strongly advocating for Balaalo to leave our ancestral land.
We are very disturbed and disappointed to hear from Senior Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defense Force (CDF), abusing our son, Dr. Kenneth Omona, the state minister for Northern Uganda, and calling him an idiot because of the reinforcing of the agreed-upon UPDF high Command order by President Museveni, Presidential Order Number 2, 2025, because he is trying to implement the eviction of Balaalo from North-Eastern Uganda.
Therefore, I am calling for a total protest vote to boycott voting for the NRM. This time Acholi Sub-Region must send 33 Legislators to the August House. Let us vote for the Democratic Party (DP), a party led by our son, Norbert Mao, who is the president of DP.
Added, we must have a protest vote as a region that all of Acholi should vote for to support Norbert Mao, who is the cabinet minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. As for the Acholi Agenda, if we can send 33 MPs from Northern Uganda, then we can sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the government that wins the forthcoming presidential polls on February 13, 2026, because we have block votes.
Stressing that Executive Order Number 2 was blessed by the UPDF high Command, if you can also insult the minister, Dr. Kenneth Omona, who is implementing the high Command, then the high Command is also idiotic. We cannot support Uganda Patriotic League (UPL), because Balaalo is the UPL of Hon. Martin Ojara Mapenduzi, the MP for Bardege-Layibi Division, who is currently vying for Bardege-Layibi Division, the chair coordinator of UPL in the Acholi Sub Region.
Hon. Ojara Martin Mapenduzi must be voted out, because his boss, Gen Muhoozi, called us idiots. Gen Muhoozi does not respect Executive Order Number 2. Evicting Balaalo migrants.
Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Uganda CDF, fortnight ago abused Dr. Kenneth Omona, calling him Idiotic for supporting the Balaalo eviction from Acholi land. When the state minister for Northern Uganda appeared on UBC TV, the popular political talk show behind the headline, the program features on Wednesday of every week.
“You idiotic minister, Dr. Kenneth Omona, who wants Balaalo to be evicted from the Acholi Sub Region in three weeks.” CDF, Gen Muhoozi tweeted and blasted the minister.
Early on, Gen. Muhoozi, during his tour and impromptu visit to Gulu City, where he camped in Gulu UPDF4th Division for four days, order Gen. Salim Saleh, his uncle, Wilson Badi, the former CDF, and Raphael Magyezi, minister of Local government to first remove their cattle from Acholi Sub Region. The three senior governments were the first to remove their animals.
Gilbert Olanya, the MP for Kilak South, Amuru District, recently said, the people of North-Eastern Uganda must boycott Milk, Meat, and Vaccination. He advises people of Acholi, Lango, Tesu, Madi, Lubgwara, and Alur communities, where the Balaalo eviction is taking place, to take extra precautions, since the Balaalo migrants are threatening the community of those areas that they will cause genocide, because they are being evicted.
“I warn the people from the areas where the Balaalo migrants are being evicted not to buy milk, meat, and to distance themselves from vaccinating their children, especially when the vaccine is being carried only in the areas I mention. Because of the threat emanating from the Balaalo,” Gilbert Olanya stressed.
Sylvester Opira one on one interview on Monday July 9th at Florida Hotel repeatedly says, we should follow what Hon Gilbert Olanya has said that we should boycott BALAALO Milk, Meat and immunization even injection especially from those who are seen to be suspicious from an unknown medic, check the person who is giving you medicine.
As one of the clan leaders from Atiak chiefdom has high doubts in the place where eviction is taking place, the Obongi in West Nile, Madi District, Pakwach in Pakwach District, Lango and Tesu Sub-Regions.
Sylvester Opira worked with the National Resistance Movement NRM party for 32 years from 1988. He saw how the people were shot and killed by the Kampala regime. In 1989, he joined Cader, working in the Office of JB Ocaya, the then Gulu RDC, Tom Apila, Kitgum Special District Administrator, Canogura, Pader RDC, Odong Phillip Gulu Deputy RDC, Bosco Oryema, Otika Luc, among others.
Opira says 33 Acholi RDCs were sent home without packages, while 44 RDCs from Western Uganda were sent home when their packages were paid.
Rwot Santo Richard Apire, Acholi Paramount Chief, Lawii Rwodi elect, says the verification exercise must be done in conjunction with Acholi clan leaders, and it must involve all chiefdoms.
Acholi has 57 chiefdoms, all must be in charge of the communal customary land tenure system, which was grabbed by the so-called Acholi Land Owner Association, a group of middlemen who were the land brokers who sold communal land to the Balaalo.
“” I will make sure that the Okidi area under the Atiak chiefdom must be owned as it was by clan leaders of Atiak, those people who grabbed the communal land will not have a say, and the verifications committee has no business in Okidi areas. The land must not be tampered with,” Rwot Richard Santo Apire warns.
Rwot David Acana the II, the emeritus Acholi Paramount chief, says he advised Gen. Muhoozi, the CDF, when he visited his office that the government must vaccinate cattle from East Acholi because, after the LRA conflict, all the animals from Agago, Pader, Lamwo and Kitgum districts have been in the camps, instead, the Acholi community went back to their villages.
But, because of the cattle rustlers from Karamojong nomadic cattle raids over the last years, cattle have been causing trouble in the hands of the Karamojong.
Rwot David Onen Acana, the emeritus, went silent on Presidential Executive Order Number 2, 2025.
Ï talked to Gen Muhoozi when he visited me to vaccinate cattle from the East Acholi, since they are suffering from cattle disease. Rwot David Onen Acana revealed to the media.
Obol Simple Man, the Spokesperson of DP for the Acholi Sub Region, also added his voice, supporting the position echoed by Sylvester Opira on the boycotting of voting for NRM. Says the political collation of new party form People Front for Freedom (PFF), and the former Alliance for National Transition (ANT), party led by Dr. Kizza Besigye who on treason trial and the former CDF, Major General Mugisha Mutu is just a political gimmicks ploy to hoodwink the Acholi community as the Parties are for NRM.
The Acholi community must vote for the DP party since Norbert Mao, belonging to the region, Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), the party of the founding father of the nation, Dr. Apollo Milton Obote, is being run by Jimmy Akena Obote. The Lango Community has been voting for the UPC party.
“The political road map has been drowned, the silver lining is on the wall, since President Museveni has failed to develop Acholi Sub Region, the Oil and Gas which 80 percent is in Acholi Sub Region, the government of Uganda says the Oil and Gas are in Bunyoro Sub Region, while calling the Oil and Gas in Acholi Sub Region as Pakwach Oil and Gas.
Obol Simple Man, says the narrative of DP was formed in Gulu in 1952 by Anturu Oryem, Semei Ocaya, Jenaro Odoke, Alexadra Latim, A. A Banya and others. And in 1954, Justice Olula Joseph Kasolo, who was the then District Engineer working with Pubic Services, went and convinced the Baganda, mainly the Catholic faithful denominations to join the DP party from the Central region.
“” The DP has come back home to Norbert Mao, we now have our own party, the Acholi Sub Region must support by boycotting NRM, we must vote for the party.
As in support of the boycott of NRM MPs, the Aspirants’ grassroots primary election so far is going. Ojara Martin Mapenduzi is on the receiving end. Anthony Akol, the MP for Kilak North, Amuru district, is losing ground to Okot Kenneth, all the NRM party bearers in the Acholi Sub Region, and after the talks show host on Rupiny Radio station, their ground is tilted toward the opposition supporters.
Captain David Kamiya, UPDF 4th Division spokesperson, has confirmed to The Guardian News desk in Gulu City that, so far, cattle from Aswa Ranch, Gotapowoyo, and Okidi Sub County, including the Palaro Labworomor belt they are on the move, and many animals have been peacefully moving.
The government has extended two months for the free movement of the Balaalo, the government District Vet. Officers are giving a free permit transfer pass. But after two months, the UPDF will swing into action for forceful eviction. “The UPDF spokesperson mooted.
