By Nathan Eyagu
SERERE
The Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party has supported the candidature of late MP Okabe’s son for the impending Serere County bye-elections.
This was revealed by Pascal Amuriat, the UPC chairperson in Soroti City who also doubles as UPC Regional Committee Member yesterday,1st January 2023 during the thanks giving ceremony attended by different people in the ancestral home of the late Serere county MP, Patrick Okabe.
Amuriat said that UPC has therefore decided not to field a candidate, “because this is not an emotional matter but rather understanding the context of what’s on the ground following the people’s reaction.”
“I disagree with NRM on different issues but a by election is not a simple matter, you can front a candidate but later fail to get the best out of it, It’s not a failure of UPC to front a candidate, but it’s looking at what’s happening,” he said.
Amuriat also added that it wouldn’t be good for the party to front a candidate of UPC because it will be like they are not mourning with the people as the by-election is so painful and cultural in nature.
“Possibly in the future, we are here to pray and attend the thanks giving ceremony but maybe some individuals of the party may react differently but it’s better to support the boy,” Amuriat added referring to Okabe’s son.
It should also be noted that there are still ongoing controversial talks in Serere County on who will hold the NRM flag as a majority of NRM top leaders have vowed to support Emmanuel Omoding Okabe, the son to the late MP to finish his father’s term and drop Philip Oucor the current NRM flag bearer in the county.
Serere county Member of Parliament, Bishop Patrick Okabe died in a motor accident together with his wife on 19th, December,2022 along the Mbale-Tirinyi road.
