Teso Information Minister Resigns to Join Politics

Constantine Okwi, the Information Minister in the Iteso Cultural Union (ICU) has resigned from his position to join the Kibale County Parliamentary race in Pallisa district. In a letter shared with the ICU cabinet on Wednesday, Okwi said that he has returned to active political activities, especially since the party primaries are commencing early this year. 

“I am happy to have had the opportunity to contribute to the service of Iteso and Ateker at large,” Okwi said at the beginning of his letter. “As a team, we managed to restore stability in the Iteso Cultural Union. While cognizance is paid to the recurrent tasks of uplifting the image of ICU and Iteso at large, a lot has been achieved,” Okwi adds in his letter. 

He said that he had placed a request of resignation to Emorimor earlier, which request he says was accepted. Okwi will tussle it out with the incumbent Kibale County Member of parliament, Richard Oseku Oriebo for the NRM flag. He replaced Gabriel Opolot in 2023 as Minister of Information in the Ateker cabinet after the first reshuffle by the Iteso Paramount Chief, Paul Sande Emolot.

Stephen Ojacor, the Deputy Minister of Information in the ICU cabinet acknowledged receipt of the resignation letter of his former boss and the release of Okwi to politics by Emorimor. “To me as his Junior Minister, Okwi has been one of the best people to work with. He has that parental mind and attitude towards serving the Ateker, and he has never been confrontational or in any form of conflict.  We shall dearly miss his guidance and expertise in the cabinet,” Ojacor said.

Okwi, a teacher, accountant, and activist was among the seven candidates who participated in the Kibale County MP race in 2021 where he came third. Although he was independent at the time, Okwi says he is ready for the NRM flag.

William Alloch, one of the ICU founding members cautioned Okwi on his next career pursuit. “My advice to Okwi therefore is that he has to be very careful with his position between culture and politics. He has to check well what to say about the institution in his political campaigns,” Alloch said in social media posts to the Teso forums.