By Otim Nape

Amolatar woman MP Doreen Amule must be having sleepless nights after it emerged that intelligence operatives advised Kaguta M7 the president to recall her predecessor Caroline Okao to come and market the Raphael Magyezi proposal deleting article 102(b)-leading to life presidency in Uganda.

Amule, who is among the seconders for the Magyezi motion, was found wanting by Kaguta following the Independence Day incident where voters attacked her and removed the microphone from her. She stormed the speaking platform and grabbed the microphone from the LC5 chairman who was attacking MPs backing life presidency. The crowd came up and defended the LC5 chairman while assaulting Amule whose police escort has since been expanded to four guards. This Independence Day incidence, Kaguta believes, ignited anti-life presidency sentiments elsewhere in Lango. Since opting not to seek reelection in 2016, on Kaguta’s advice, Okao has been in Netherlands doing her PhD in Finance. Okao, who used to be very popular with Amolatar voters, is adding this PhD onto her MBA got at Sikhim Manipal University in 2014. As of 2016, she was deputy finance minister for microfinance. Voters cursed Amule for being the beneficiary of the sham NRM primaries which Okao avoided and quit area politics. It’s widely believed Amule is operating under that curse of political betrayal because even her father, a Pentecostal Pastor, strongly opposed her decision to run for Okao’s post. Okao’s husband is a relative of Amule and she grew up at their home under Okao’s care. The father, who works under Okao’s maize milling project for low income women that was donated to Okao by Kaguta, blamed his daughter for doing such to a woman who supported her so much. Okao’s project on which her opponent’s father is employed is called AWIGO and it does charity amongst women groups in Amolatar and their premises are still guarded by VIP security protection deployed at the instigation of Kaguta the President. “I can’t believe my daughter could do that to someone who got her from the dust and positioned her to become district councilor and eventually district speaker,” ranted the old man who politically never supported his daughter’s election campaigns in 2016.  Amule at some point got married to the man, who fathers her earlier kids now in primary, but things didn’t work out. They separated and when it was over, Okao gave a shoulder for her to lean on. Amule resided in Okao’s house as she struggled to make ends meet. Despite all that as of 2016, Amule felt she had what it takes to upstage Okao. She de-campaigned her by telling voters she was an incompetent foreigner-because she is Iteso merely married a Langi in Amolatar. Amule was worked with Amolatar County MP Anthony Okello who also was mentored by Okao. This was after Kaguta the President tasked her to identify someone who could uproot UPC strongman Ojok Okot Bileo who Kaguta badly wanted to politically eliminate from Lango political scene. Okello, unlike Okao stood as NRM, and when Kaguta kept Okao as Minister, Okello teamed up with other bad hearted politicians from Lango to undermine Okao. They accused her of being an independent very much favored by Kaguta the President. The Amule-Okello alliance angered many people including James Olobo the Amolatar NRM district chairman who protested sham primaries by running on the independent ticket. Amule is well educated too because she has masters degree in public administration and in 2011 stood against Evelyn Anite for northern youth MP post and lost. Voters remain unhappy that unlike Okao who used her international friends and connections to construct bore holes and thereby alleviating the drought problem, Amule hasn’t done anything for them. In Kampala, Amule stays in Naalya and voters say they regret their decision on polling day because she isn’t accessible.

Cursed Amule’s misfortunes- voters believe bad luck is following Amule in all she does as seen in the day 35 year old Amule wedded 27 year old Tony Dickens Opio who works with UBOS. The wedding was in July 2017 and as the reception got underway, a heavy down pour came and many party goers were injured badly as tents fell on them. Betty Amongi who was the only minister present fled and narrowly survived being wounded by falling tents. Bishop Joel Mukalo of Lira Pentecostal Assemblies of God, who wedded the couple also escaped with a bruised face. Amule and Opio had to be shielded by police against the very violent storm that struck the event venue. Godfrey Kiwanda the tourism minister was to be the guest of honor, after Kaguta declined, and him too (Kiwanda) didn’t show up. Neither did he communicate. They kept waiting for him in vain. According to Victor Odongo, whose Lira Hire & Events Management Company handled the event, guests left without food. This was so because in the ensuing stormy rain, locals broke into the store and stole the food and drinks that had been prepared. The events man made total losses as his chairs were broken and some stolen in the chaos that ensued. Ventorina Alobo, an old lady based in Aputi trading center, recalls that what happened on that day wasn’t manifesting God’s blessing as Amule claims but bad luck and a couple that is totally cursed from day one. Hundreds of residents who left hungry have never accepted this was an act of God that was clearly beyond Amule’s control. Instead they remain angry their MP made them trek long distances to attend a wedding at which they didn’t eat or drink anything. This anger was still fresh as of last week when Amule came to the district and tried to market life presidency. This resistance seen on the Independence Day is clearly the reason why Kaguta will now be counting on tested Caroline Okao to soften the hearts of Amolatar residents and voters.