By Delux Emmy Alomu
AMURIA
As local council elections approach, Musa Ecweru, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Chairperson for Amuria District, is cautioning voters to carefully consider their options and avoid electing LC1 and LC2 chairpersons with a history of theft and corruption.
This warning comes in response to troubling reports from the Teso sub-region, where some LC1s, LC2s, and parish chiefs have been accused of embezzling the 5 million shillings allocated for families under the cattle restocking and rehabilitation program, leaving vulnerable communities at a loss. Some LCs recommend their family members to benefit from the restocking funds leaving out the vulnerable communities.
During a press briefing at his home in Wera sub-county on July 6, 2026, Ecweru, who previously served as the state minister of works, emphasized the importance of removing corrupt local council leaders.
He believes voters have a crucial opportunity to act against those who have already demonstrated dishonesty and mismanagement of funds.
“Let us use this election for voting out all the corrupt leaders and then we get those that we know are trustworthy. Because they are going to handle our restocking, PDM, Emyooga and other programs that depend on the recommendations of these LCs. For the women, they are going to handle our GROW program,” Ecweru said.
As the Electoral Commission officially kicks off the electoral process today July 6th, starting with resident registration that will last until July 10, 2026, Ecweru encourages community members to actively participate in electing their local leaders.
“If you don’t participate in electing these people and anybody just jumps into that office, the people who will suffer for the next five years, are you the villagers,” Ecweru said.
He insists that choosing honest representatives is vital since these councils have the power to connect residents with government programs.
Ecweru plans to meet with the NRM District Executive committee and sub-county committees this week to reinforce his message about prioritizing integrity in leadership.
He also suggests that individuals from other political parties who possess good character should be encouraged to join the NRM. This way, they can help bridge the gap between the community and government initiatives.
“There might be somebody who stands as NRM and is a crook. We can persuade any person from any political party to join NRM and we elect him/her as long as we think they are the right persons that can link us to the government programs and deliver. Not every NRM could be clean, so we need to sort out,” he said.
Support for Ecweru’s stance is echoed by Malisa Aciko from Mulago cell in Wera Town Council, who believes corrupt local leaders undermine essential government programs meant to benefit villagers.
According to the Electoral Commission, polling for Village (LC I) Chairperson elections will take place on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, across 71,214 contested villages throughout Uganda. Voting will occur in public places within each village, starting at 7:00 AM and conclude at 4:00 PM. Voters will show their support for candidates by lining behind them or displayed symbols, as outlined in Section 123(2) of the Local Government Act CAP 243.
