By Okumu Livingstone Langol
Photos: Livingstone Okumu Langol
Photo Caption above: Kilak South Legislator, Hon. Gilbert Olanya (Middle) and fellow legislators during a local government public accounts committee briefing to the press at Gulu City Council Hall, August 16, 2024. He thinks Apaa Land, Aswa Ranch land grabbing and war-debt claims should feature during the regional parliamentary sitting in Gulu, August 28-August 29, 2024.
Photos Caption below: A woman vends papyrus mat on the streets of Gulu City August 16, 2014. Due to biting poverty, papyrus mats are still used as beddings by poor locals, something regional parliament should pay attention to (Photo by Livingstone Okumu Langol).
The Black Star News, August 16, 2024, caught up with Hon. Gilbert Olanya the Kilak South legislator, and a leading opposition figure, on a one-on-one interview about what is thought about the impending Parliament sitting in Gulu City slated for August 28-29, 2024, and below are what he had to say.
Hon. Gilbert Olanya okayed the regional parliamentary sitting saying many people struggle to go and attend parliament sessions in Kampala but it has now been brought closer to them.
Hon. Olanya says the parliamentary sitting means a whopping UGX 5bn will be spent in Gulu. Additionally, each parliamentarian will be given UGX 1.5 million per day for each of the three days they are expected to be in Gulu. Olanya noted that this will be a big boost to the local economy.
There are up to 553 legislators in Uganda, making this an obscene expenditure according to some sections of Ugandans, including the Leader of Opposition (LOP), Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, who argues that the regional expenditure could be put to other better uses. LOP Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi argues that this is yet another subtle form of corruption, an avenue to feast on the tax payers’ money.
Hon. Gilbert Olanya, who okays the regional sitting, believes that issues that should be on the agenda when the legislators assemble in Gulu should include how to respond to the nodding syndrome disease, the Apaa land conflict, Aswa Ranch land grabbing, and the Acholi war-debt claimants’ compensation.
Nodding disease is a debilitating neurological disease that has for years been troubling Northern Uganda with no viable solution in sight, meanwhile Apaa land conflict has claimed scores of lives, being a contested space amongst Acholi, Madi, Uganda Wildlife Authority, investors through proxies, charcoal dealers and timber investors.
The war-debt claimants have year-in year-out been promised compensation that come in piecemeal, and only favouring a small section of claimants and administrators over the bulk of would-be beneficiaries.
Meanwhile Aswa Ranch, formerly public land, that the community believes should revert back to them has for years now been used to keep cattle of some state-backed aliens.
Gulu University academician, Moses Owot agrees with Hon. Gilbert that the local economy will benefit from the legislators’ regional sitting. Owot notes that most key hotels and restaurants will receive a number of guests who will pay for accommodation services and buy food. Owot adds that the sitting will, as well boost local tourism.
On the downside, Owot, an academician doubling as an economist, believes that there will be a challenge as traffic will be slowed by the influx of the legislators, something that will be unpleasant to transporters of goods and services.
Owot also notes pollution as one of the downsides of the legislators’ influx to Gulu since they will come with their long trails of vehicles. Further, Owot foresees increment in charcoal and firewood demands as endangering the environment.
On another note, Hon. Olanya believes that the current 11th Parliament has incurred notable gaps. He decries the passing on of the former Speaker, Hon. Jacob Oulanyah as having left a huge gap. He notes that Hon. Oulanyah, the former Speaker who passed on in 2022 was well educated, well groomed, well exposed and incorruptible.
“Now the issue of corruption is coming to erode the credibility of August House, because each MP has turned to lobbying for things including funds from donor communities,” Olanya quipped.
Hon. Gilbert Olanya noted that all the issues that have been of concern to the Acholi, ranging from the nodding syndrome, Apaa land conflict, Aswa Ranch land grabbing and the war-debt compensation were at the forefront of what the deceased Speaker, Hon. Oulanyah wanted addressed urgently by the legislators but that they have now been swept under the carpet.
Hon Gilbert Olanya further noted that the ministers hailing from Acholi Sub Region have done little to address Acholi matters and are not advocating for development programmes that benefit the Acholi community.
“We sit with MPs from Western Uganda. “They are proud of their ministers, they tell us about any developmental projects and programmes that they need initiated in their regions, unlike the ministers from Acholi region,” Olanya said.
“We have taken issues of Apaa, the Acholi war debt claimants’ compensation to Minister Norbert Mao, I am praying to Mr. Mao, that he should use his position as a Minister to tackle those sticking issues,” Olanya added.
Minister Norbert Mao is the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and hails from the Acholi Sub-Region.
Concerning the legislators’ performance, Hon. Gilbert Olanya said. “We are missing the likes of the former MP for Aruu South, Hon. Odonga Otto, the former MP for Obongi County, Hon. Kaps Fagaroo, Hon. Reagan Okumu, the former MP for Aswa County, Gulu District, and Hon. Okello Livingstone Okello, the former MP for Chua County, Kitgum District. “Those were the vibrant opposition MPs from Northern Uganda who could move Parliament,” Olanya stressed.
“We need some people who could stand up with the gut to push things; the presence of opposition can let things move.”
Olanya prayed that in the forthcoming parliamentary elections, members from Acholi and Lango sub-regions should vote for opposition politicians so that they can effectively “push things.”
Jimmy Ouna, former Commissioner of National Forestry Authority, who hails from Palaro Sub-county, Gulu District, Northern Uganda, the regional parliament should listen to the voices from the locals and give them the chance to speak up what is on their minds.
“For example, the sale of land in Palaro Sub-county to me is land grabbing, nobody should think that the land which is being sold is not grabbing. “Those who are selling their land are being forced by Balaalo migrants, cattle keepers who migrated from as far as Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, because if your neighbor’s land has been forcefully grabbed in the name of selling, you will be forced to sell your land at a low price.”
“Those who are selling their land do not have peace of mind, because there were intimidation and coercion involved, or people simply give up on their land when they see armed herdsmen freely grazing on their land. “They think they would rather sell it off and give away prices,” Ouna said.
To Mr. Jimmy Ouna, these are some of the issues that should come to table when the legislators sit in Gulu.
Kenneth Ocitti, a businessman in Gulu City, says the regional parliament sitting in Gulu City is not going to help them, because all the MPS including those who pretend to be on the opposition in reality belong to the ruling NRM party and have to toe the party line, which line is anti-Acholi.
“Parliament is not holding the government accountable. “The MPs whom we sent to the so called August house have become President Museveni agents,” Ocitti complained.
“They have deviated from their usual work, which concerns good governance, strengthening public financial accountability, curbing corruption and contributing to poverty reduction,” Ocitti added.
“They (MPs) do not look at the suffering of our farmers. “They allow middlemen to buy cheaply from the famers, and they do not help the farmers to insure their production,” Ocitti said.
Willy Chowoo, a manager at Choice FM Radio Station articulates some of the challenges that the parliamentary sitting will face in Gulu as the Aguu (gangsters) phenomena. He notes that some of the MPs will be moving out late in the night, and expresses worry that the Aguu will rob them of their mobile phones, and some money.
“Most of the roads do not have street lights, and this is a major concern that Gulu City has to push for and make sure the defunct street lighting is restored before the Regional Parliament,” Chowoo said
Other critical issues that Chowoo talked about included the failed peace recovery, and reparation programmes and the Transitional Justice Policy Agenda item 6.
Chowoo also noted that will the bulk of oil is in Nwoya of Acholi sub-region, it is politically located in Bunyoro and Bunyoro Kingdom had signed an Oil and Gas Agreement with the government of Uganda leaving out the Acholi Sub-region.
“The issues of royalty under Bunyoro Kingdom were covered while Acholi is marginalized. “I see that the creation of districts as part of the balkanization to deny our community a better oil and gas benefits,” Chowoo noted.
