Residents of Pabbo Sub County in Amuru district were on Thursday afternoon treated to a rare sight as area Members of Parliament (MPs) and Maj Gen Julius Oketa got down onto their knees and apologised over use of abusive languages during the campaigns.
In attendance was the Gulu Archbishop John Baptist Odama, retired Kitgum Anglican Bishop McCleod Baker Ochola II and his successor Bishop Benjamin Ojwang, Acholi Chief Khadi Shiek Musa Khalil and Bishop Johnson Gakumba of the Diocese of northern Uganda, among others.
Gilbert Olanya and his female counterpart Lucy Akello and Maj Gen Oketa all offered the apologies while kneeling down during an end of year peace prayer organized by Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative (ARLPI) at Pabbo Primary School.
On his part, Olanya asked for forgiveness from his electorates and political rivals for the wrongs he has done. He noted that as the New Year begins, there is need for politicians in Amuru to open a new chapter by preaching love and forgiveness.
Olanya said divisive politics is bad for the country as Ugandans prepare to elect their leaders.
The District Woman MP Akello also knelt down and asked for forgiveness.
Akello says 2016 should be a year of peace and love among the politicians and their supporters.
She admitted that abusive languages has dominated Amuru’s political campaigns but blamed it on Satan.
The Amuru lawmaker says the New Year should offer new opportunities for the foes to bury their differences and work together for a common good.
Maj Gen Oketa, the army representative in Parliament who was the first to kneel down also offered an apology to the people of Amuru.
Gen Oketa admitted that he has also abused individuals after he came under a similar attack.
Gen Oketa who is also a born of the area says sometimes he is accused of inciting violence and in the response he involuntarily ends up attacking personalities.
However Jane Frances Okili, an aspirant for the Amuur woman parliamentary seat says she does not believe the apologies were genuine. Okili who claims to have been a subject of political attacks over her tribe says the whole episode was initiated by Gen Oketa. She said in less than four days(as the campaigns heat up), the politicians will return to their old ways [ use abusive language and personal attacks].
Okili who is taking a third shot at the Amuru woman parliamentary seat is originally from Eastern Uganda but she is married to a man from Amuru.
Archbishop Odama praised the politicians for the good gesture and asked them to emulate Jesus Christ who he said does not love violence.
The Archbishop said reconciliation will restore love that lasts forever.
He accordingly asked the politicians to live up to their words[desist from abusive language] as the country prepares to go into the general elections.
