Santa Okot, a former peace negotiator for Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) during the inconclusive Juba peace talks between the Ugandan and the Lords Resistance Army has joined the list of aspirants for the new Omoro District Woman Member of Parliament (MP) seat.
Okot is among the seven female parliamentary candidates nominated on an independent ticket.
Okot is former woman member of parliament for Pader district and has previously lost twice to Christine Dorine Lowila (NRM) for the Pader woman member of parliament seat.
There are ten other candidates who are vying for the Omoro woman parliamentary seat. Four are on party ticket while the rest are Independents.
On the independent ticket are; Christine Atimango Ario, Alice Aneno Oroma, a former MP aspirant for Kitgum District Woman MP and Betty Lalam.
Others are; Grace Atim, the Gulu District NRM Vice Chairperson, Rose Nyapolo, former Gulu District Woman Councilor for Ongako Sub County and Alice Akello Latigo, a Gulu based advocate.
The four candidates on the party ticket are: Catherine Lamwaka (NRM), the former Gulu Resident District Commissioner (RDC) who lost to Betty Aol Ocan in the February Parliamentary elections for the Gulu District Woman MP race, Mariea Shaka Lapolo (UPC) who contested against FDC’s Aol and lost, Prossy Alanyo Owiny, (FDC), and Grace Pamela Lanyero of the Democratic Party (DP).
In an interview with the press on Friday, shortly after being nominated, Okot described herself as a mature leader who is best suited to represent the people of Omoro District in the 10th Parliament.
Okot says with her vast experience as a peace negotiator and a former legislator, Omoro will be in the right hands, if she is elected.
“I was the one who was the first Woman MP who started Pader district and because Omoro is a new district and my homes district where my parents come from, I feel that I should be the one to also start Omoro the way I started Pader district,’’ she said.
She added: ‘‘And of course there are so many things which are not yet there is Omoro. For example, the district headquarters. It needs a lot of effort to put it. Like for Pader, we started offices under the mango tree but now there are a lot of buildings.’’
She said the other ten candidates are new in leadership and cannot convincingly represent the interests of the people of Omoro in the Parliament of Uganda.
“I have already been in Parliament. All these candidates are new. I will not be learning the rules in Parliament because I have the experience already. I will not be looking for new friends because I am well known,” Okot said.
The former District Woman MP for Pader in the 7th Parliament says because of her vast experience in peace negotiation and in parliament, she will ensure that the communities are able to access better health care services and educations.
She laid out agriculture as her priority since Omoro has land which is currently under utiltised.
A teacher by profession, Okot was involved in the protracted 2006 Juba Peace Talks between the Ugandan government and the rebel.
3 Comments
Santa Okot is the Mother in-Law of Deputy Speaker,Hon Jacob Olanya.She must be advice to leave other Candidates to try their lack.
It will appear as a Family Political business.Hon Olanya is battling a divorce case with the daughter in the USA, how will Santa campaign successfully and win in Omoro?
What’s wrong with that if the people of Omoro trust her?
She is a Political Prostitute.From NRM to Bidandi Salis,Party then Go Foward in recent past Election in Pader.can you ask the Omoro People to give us their opinion pole and why she is not one of the Candidates of the major four Parties?
Please,let us learn to be open to our people.”opportunity never knock twice”.