SHIPU's Nakalema urges leaders on unity, integrity in Lango

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LIRA - State House Investors Protection Unit (SHIPU) head Col Edith Nakalema has urged Lango-based civil servants and cultural leaders on love, integrity and kindness.

Nakalema, who caused a lot of panic among the civil servants in Lango around the year 2018, by arresting dozens of suspected corrupt district officials, when she was heading the State House Anti-corruption Unit, made an appearance in Lira City in ‘different colours’.

Walking freely without security protection and simply dressed in civilian attire, the famous Nakalema made her first appearance at Margarita Palace Hotel, where she shared the words of God and consolations with the Lango cultural leaders and later proceeded to St Lira Hotel, engaged with members of the security fraternity on the same December 4, 2025, evening.

Col Nakalema prayer with Lango Clan leaders at a luncheon meeting at Margarita Place hotel in Lira City. (PHOTOS BY JOSEPH EKOL)

Speaking to the clan leaders, Nakalema said she was on a mission to preach the word of God and remind the leaders on their roles of uniting subjects, being accountable and peace building.

“God has commanded you to protect one another, now I am not on the duty of arrest, I am on the duty of sharing love and saying let us give life meaning, that is why in the corruption fight, I have a lot of achievements because I take God first, when I go to my office, I’ll leave a lasting impact because I cannot betray trust,” Col Nakalema.

She was a keynote speaker at the conferences organised for different stakeholders by the African Evangelistic Enterprise-Uganda, a Christian-based organisation.

“I came to the region, to Alebtong, where district officials had accounted for 14 boreholes, which never existed. I arrested them all. By that time, countrywide, we had over 396 government officials in courts of law, and 72 had been convicted; they will not serve in the Government for 10 years,” Nakalema stated.

She added, “I was on official duty to fight corruption, today I head investors like you, and you are the most important investors in leadership, and bringing humanity together”.

Keep peace

About the forthcoming elections, Nakalema said authority comes from God and that people should obey those in authority, keep the peace, love and ensure what brings stability is promoted and avoid tensions.

“Do the right things, tell your subordinates to keep the peace, stability and also to obey the authority because the authority comes from God,” she told the clan leaders.

In a meeting with the security, Nakalema thanked the personnel for keeping peace and stability in the Lango sub-region and Lira City in particular, even when the campaigns go on.

“Particularly, I want to congratulate you that you may have been the first city where the NUP candidate has gone without attracting too much attention, well done,” Nakalema.

She urged the security personnel to stick to professionalism and serve with patience, love and kindness, even with the little they are paid, saying God is watching their struggles and will reward them one day.

“Use the competency that you have to protect others, and please never ever undermine or criticise yourself, and look at yourself like you have failed when you are a junior rank, because one day you will be commanding others or be a consultant,” Col Nakalema consoles police, army, prison and judicial officials

Create lasting meaning

On December 6, 2025, before embarking on her journey back to Kampala, Nakalema met Lira city teachers, whom she urged to diligently exercise their duties to create lasting meanings in the lives of the learners.

“Once you teach the child, you have to teach the parent. The way you touch lives as teachers is enormous,” she said.

Lira Resident City Commissioner Lawrence Egole thanked Nakalema for interfacing with the leaders of Lango, saying after her keynote addresses, the stakeholders will not be the same.

Egole informed Nakalema that from the day when the 2026 General Election campaigns started, Lango region, especially Lira city, were already marked red as the hottest part of the country where insecurity would arise, but they have never registered any political unrest starting from primary elections.

Carol Masaba, the vice-chairperson of the board at AEE, said their mission in Lira was to evangelise the city, just like they have been doing in other regions, where they talk to the leaders of those areas.

Masaba says what happens in the cities has a direct impact on what happens in the village, and if the city is falling, the countryside cannot prosper. The reason they organised the Lira Mission.

“We preach in words and in deeds because we want to see transformed people, we want to see people whose lives are getting better and better all the time, and that is what every kind of leaders should be desiring so the people you lead, do not be the same but they should be transforming daily and getting into a better life,” Masaba explained.