UGANDA: GULU CITY DIVISION MAYOR ELECT BATTLE BETWEEN RICHARD TODWONG AND NORBERT MAO

The 70 percent of Uganda’s young population has come into place, as Gulu City youths demonstrated by rallying behind academic dropouts by electing Gifter Aber and Okello Patrick, while rejecting Geoffrey Otim, who stood for Gulu City East Division Laroo-Pece, and thrusting Ngom Okwee, PHD candidate.

As the duos paraded themselves in the name of celebration, Gulu City remain quite with on looker jeer them. The kingmaker, NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong, planned to throw a banquet on Saturday, January 31, 2026, for a job well done.

  GULU CITY-FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2026

By Okumu Livingstone Langol, Our Correspondent

The Luo adage, Gang too ma mono mono, foolishness destroyed a well-built foundation. Gulu City is one of the smartest cities in Uganda, and Gulu Main Market, during the former Mayor George Labeja’s administration, would academic draft elected maintain the status quo.

Many people who talk to our Correspondent argued that even though the election aftermath is a counter accession of the conflict between the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong, Gen. Charles Otema Awany remains the person who is respected in the Acholi community, and this political divide, his name has not been mentioned.

“Even the head of state has respect for him; this is a lesson to learn. Many people, I think section of the Acholi community, are questioning if in the next parliament, Richard Todwong shall be the SG”

Winne Lawoko Olwee, an economic and Market expert, formerly worked as Deputy Uganda National Planning Authority, the former Market Manager of Kampala and Kilimanjaro Sheraton Hotel. The East African Bureau asserted that what sanity is, Julius Achire Labeja Gunya would make for Gulu City?

Gulu Municipality George Labeja left Gulu Main Market, the smartest and best City market that was recommended by the Ministry of Local Government. As of now, it has no car parking because an elected person must have the capacity to speak or write.

However, newly elected Gulu City Divisions, Laroo-Pece and Layibi-Bardege, should have the capacity to measure the demanding geo-global development, socio-political and economic challenges

“Let’s wait for their 100 days in the office, as noise would be the scene of the day, otherwise, with pubic demand, we shall recall them back.” Winne Lawoko Olwee argued.

We need to meet Julius Achire Labeja Gunya, and have a think tank, a haptize opportunity, because leadership has two angles, the influence portfolio. We have seen the modern time influence, what we get from the social media that influences you to market place, we need leaders who have a footprint at least for tourism, for investment, for the investors to come, and the technical people have to put things in place.

She asked a question, how Mayor George Labeja convened JICA to invest in Gulu City, amidst all those, if he was not good at listening, speaking his mind, and writing down his thoughts despite his constraints?

George Ebola, rouse up, and gave the account of how the former Gulu Municipality George Labeja made it, when the JICA investor was meeting, Gulu Municipality Development Forum, the JICA representative asked Mayor George Labeja, how can JICA help him to develop Gulu Municipality?

Mayor George Labeja, the intron respondent, asked JICA to respond in writing to the concept paper that will entail JICA’s investment in Gulu Municipality.

Thus, George Labeja, called him George Ebola, and five other people, including the Gulu City Planner, wrote the concept paper, and later the mayor went and presented the document to the JCA, which later on the JICA investor used for the road construction, putting all the city lights.

Later on, the then Gulu Municipality, George Labeja, when the JICA invited him to Japan, he went with the Gulu Municipality Technocrat to Japan, and later JICA invested in road development.

Winne Lawoko argued, let’s look at the capacity of new Gulu City Gunya has brought opportunity form the social media, how is he is going to create a city to be a smart city?

Where the role of citizens in elections, as Mayor Gunya has three oppountity for job opportunities, where citizens has opportunity of for employment, opportunities for job creation, investment opportunities, this is what leads to GDP in this area.

“For him, Gunya, he can say, I came into this city when the GDP was like this, I came into this Gulu City when the job creation was like this.”

Look at Gulu City, the gate to Gulu City is Cereleno market, Opit Buganda Pub, although Gulu City is rated one of the smartest cities. However, we have one of the worst disorganized face of Gulu City, where market vendors marred the good paved JICA Streets

When Gulu City have planned a business centre, with well-managed, arranged shops, we shall not have Aguu youth destitute who become transporters of merchandise, which at times they can smuggle other items. We need a Gulu City mayor who has a plan for skilling youths, changing them to committable citizen, from social evil to inventor.

Is Cereleno and Opit Buganda Pub, is the dream for Gulu Green City?, What about Kaunda Ground? Who is going to change it to make it a green city? Leaders come with influence and authority, what bring influence into the city, Gulu City. As a mayor, he should be able to create a think tank

Senior economy expert with the Ministry of Finance, Gulu University, Don, associated with Acholi Ker Kwaro of Rwot Richard Santo Apire, his view on the January 15, 2026, election in Acholi Sub Region

Okay, my view are election is now over, and it’s gone. First of all, on the election of Loro-Pece City, we were all greatly taken by surprise. Geoffrey Otim has been a good mayor, a good administrator technical component in a wider context the outcome of this election in West and East Acholi has been driven by contestation between Norbert Mao and Richard Todwong, this has driven the outcome of this election.

Let us look at the pattern of this election result, in Nwoya District, directly elected MPs entirely from the Democratic Party (DP), and MPs for the male, who were heavily campaigned and supported by Norbert Mao.

The same things happened in Gulu District, Aswa County MPs the District Chairman, and the Gulu District Woman MP and the Gulu District Chairman and for Aswa County have been supported by Norbert Mao. Also in Omoro District, the MP for Toci County is supported by Norbert Mao.

This issues, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Norbert Mao, lost heavily, the loss of Alfred Okwonga, Gulu City Mayor, because Richard Todwong had been grooming Julius Achire Labeja Gunya, Bardege-Layib,i the candidate Gunya won.

This is not how politics in Acholi, this goes to the central government of power controlling events. Why were both candidates of the Laroo-Pece Division and Layibi-Bardege sponsored as National Resistance Movement (NRM), to become mayors? Basically, the agenda is to control governance in the Laroo-Pece City East Division and Layibi-Bardege West City Division, including grabbing land.

“Those must be the motive, but of course, other motives. We think this rival will continue in the representation of Acholi in the Cabinets. We petition the head of state to consider our sons and daughters for appointment in the key positions in Government, including the Head of Government, Cabinet ministers, and Diplomatic mission.

Prof. Daniel Komakech argued his view is simple: those who voted for the mendicant and destitute know them very well, and they will reap the fruits of their voting.