Lango MPs Cancel Demo After Meeting Museveni

Members of Lango Parliamentary Group (LPG) have called off their earlier planned demonstration over the poor status of Lira Kamdini road after meeting the president.

The association had organized a peaceful demonstration over the road which for years has claimed lives or its users.

In their press briefing held on Wednesday, the association issued a 24- hour ultimatum to the government to come up with action points over the poor status of the road and threatened to hold a peaceful demonstration along the said road if their demands are not met.

Subsequently, the LPG leadership was summoned by the president for a meeting on Friday. During the meeting, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni asked to meet the leadership of Lango at Alidi Primary school in Oyam District on Saturday afternoon.

Shortly after the meeting, Judith Alyek, the chairperson Lango Parliamentary Group who is also the woman MP for Kole District issued a statement calling off the demonstration saying a new course of action will be taken after meeting the president.

Luo byte;

//Cue in: “Adwong lobo olwongowa bote…//

Cue out: ... oromo timo icen.”//

Translation: “The president summoned us and promised to physically come to see the status of our road from Kamdini- to Lira and address the people of Lango at Alidi Primary School at 2pm so I am calling upon the people of Lango to hold on, on the planned demonstration since the president is coming to meet us. Let us remain peaceful as we wait for his address and way forward.”

However, other members of the association have not received this message well. Moses Okot, the Kyoga County MP who is also the vice-chairperson LPG has gone ahead to issue another contradicting statement saying the earlier planned demonstration will still happen even if the president is coming saying the president will come with the same story they were already told.

According to Okot, their Association’s chairperson issued the statement without consulting the other members of the Association.

Eng byte:

//Cue in: “The whole caucus…//

Cue out: … in Alidi today.”//

By yesterday, Lango district Chairpersons had also shown interest in joining the demonstration.  A statement issued by David Kennedy Odongo, the Alebtong district LCV chairperson who doubles as the Lango District CP and Mayor’s forum says the demonstration will be peaceful and asked the security team not to provoke, disturb and mismanage the situation.

On Monday 17th January, Hon. Issa Otto Amiza, the former Oyam South MP was arrested and detained by police for mobilizing people to participate in a peaceful demonstration over the same. Otto was later released at night on the same day.