In Kitgum, three ministers cleared to vie for parliamentary seats
Ministers Henry Okello Oryem (foreign affairs), Beatrice Atim Anywar (water and environment) and Lillian Aber (relief, refugees and disaster preparedness) will feature on the parliamentary ballot.
Lillian Aber, state minister for relief, refugees and disaster preparedness showing her nomination form after being cleared. (Photos by Christopher Nyeko)
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Three National Resistance Movement (NRM) ministers in Kitgum district have been officially nominated to contest in the 2026 parliamentary elections.
Ministers Henry Okello Oryem (foreign affairs), Beatrice Atim Anywar (water and environment) and Lillian Aber (relief, refugees and disaster preparedness) will feature on the parliamentary ballot.
Oryem is eyeing the Chua East seat, Anywar wants to regain the Kitgum Municipality seat, while Aber is out to defend her district Woman MP seat.
Minister Henry Okello Oryem (foreign affairs) was nominated today.
Meanwhile, Simon Peter Oryema Adum will contest in the Chua West race on the NRM ticket after being duly nominated.
Betty Atim Owot, the Kitgum district electoral returning officer, presided over the nominations.
Thursday was the second and final day of the nomination of candidates for parliamentary elections countrywide, with the exercise officially starting at 9am and closing at 5pm.
In Kitgum, the last day started off on a slow note. By 10am, no aspirant had showed up at the nominations venue. Not long after, though, the place came to life with the arrival of the three ministers.
After being nominated just before 11am, Anywar pledged to prioritise clean water access through a new water project for Kitgum Municipality.
She also said she would lobby for the municipality to be elevated to city status and for the upgrade of Kitgum General Hospital into a referral hospital.
Anywar became the Kitgum district Woman MP in 2011 and Kitgum Municipality MP under the FDC ticket in 2016. She later switched allegiance by joining the NRM.
She wants to muscle the parliamentary seat off incumbent Denis Onekalit Amere of FDC, with Jimmy Olanya Olenge Komakech (UPC) and Richard Okello Ramabo (independent) also in contention.
Incumbent Aber said she has fulfilled 76 percent of her 2021 campaign pledges during her first term, including the delivery of hand tractors to all sub-counties, one district tractor for mechanised agriculture, and the upgrade of two health centres from status three to four.
Minister Beatrice Atim Anywar (water and environment) after being nominated.
If re-elected, she said her manifesto aligns with the broader NRM agenda, focusing on empowering women, youth, and persons with disabilities through seed capital, improving road infrastructure, and enhancing education and health services.
Aber's challengers are Roseline Alanyo Olobo (UPC) and Margaret Lamwaka Odwar (independent).
Oryem is making a comeback in a bid to reclaim the Chua East seat. In his way is John Calvin Okoya (independent), who lost to him in the NRM primaries.
Oryem pledged to lobby President Yoweri Museveni to grant Chua East district status, saying it would help locals manage their own development priorities.
He also promised to tackle human-wildlife conflicts, cattle rustling, improve road connectivity, and promote agriculture and education.
In Chua West, NRM flagbearer Simon Peter Oryema Adum will battle with Solomon Nokrach Oscar (DP), Joseph Okellowange Ogweng (UPC), Philip Poly Okin Ojara (independent), Ann Aisha Nagudi Okot (independent), and Eng. Allan Akena (independent).
All nominated candidates will return to the Kitgum Electoral Commission offices on Friday (October 24) for a harmonisation meeting and campaign guideline briefing.
EC guidelines
The Electoral Commission cautioned candidates against early campaigns, stating that official campaigns will begin on November 10, ahead of the 2026 general elections.
According to Kitgum district returning Owot, five aspirants who had booked nomination slots had yet to show up as the final day officially drew to a close.
They included Jonathan Onencan (Democratic Front, Chua East), Doreen Lakot (independent, Kitgum Woman MP), Gloria Lamaro (People's Front for Freedom, Kitgum Municipality), Okidi Richard (Independent, Kitgum Municipality), and Emmanuel Otika, whose constituency remained unspecified.