Amongi is a very unstable politician — former diplomat

On February 1, the Oyam South MP Betty Amongi officially changed her polling location from Minakulu to Lira City East Division. She was accompanied by her husband Jimmy Akena – Lira City East MP who also doubles as the UPC party president.

Last year, Amongi, who is also Minister of Gender, Labour, and Social Development, said “good bye” to the Oyam South electorate. Hundreds of Oyam South residents complained before and after her farewell that she had ignored them for years since her election in 2021.

Some told tndNews that “she is good at asking for a political mandate (votes), but when it is given, she turns her back.” As her move to Lira City was already known (pending official announcement), the Oyam South warned the Lira City electorate about “trust issues with their MP.”

Amongi has been a politician and MP for a long time. She began her parliamentary career in the Apac district, where she was elected as the district’s woman MP on the UPC ticket. She would eventually relocate to Oyam South in 2011.

With almost two years until the next general election in 2026, Amongi, who was elected to represent the people of Oyam South in 2021, had already “made up her mind to shift” to Lira City, which she refers to as her “matrimonial home.”

In an exclusive interview with tndNews, Ambassador Julius Peter Moto discusses Amongi’s political career. Straight from Makerere University in early 2000, Moto said she went and campaigned and became a woman Member of Parliament through ad hoc committee.

“She defeated everybody because ad hoc committee was very powerful at that time. She was fished by Dr Okullu Epak (RIP), a Member of Parliament for Oyam South at that time and taken to ad hoc committee.”

Ambassador Moto stated that Cecelia Ogwal (RIP) and Imat Apuli both played significant roles in Amongi’s political career. Opolo Apello chaired the ad hoc committee, he stated. “Once you are in Opolo Apello committee, you go through. So, she won – that time in Apac.

“Within a short time, she left Apac, went and campaigned as a directly elected Member of Parliament following the death of Honorable Okullo Epak, and a winner at that time, in a by-election was Honorable Otto Amiza,” Moto recalls.

Amiza did not work for long, he says. “Before he could even go for a second reelection Amongi came back from Apac and defeated him. Amongi is a very unstable politician.

“Later on, people of Lira have seen: midway after the 2021 elections, before this term has elapsed. she started an early campaign to be the woman MP for Lira City.”

Why is Amongi obsessed with shifting? In his response, the former diplomat said, “I think it’s the question of proximity to State House because prior to President Museveni appointing Honorable Dr Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero as Minister of Health in 2016, Honorable Betty was having unlimited access to State House, to the President, and top government officials. She was that powerful.

“So, there is an element of jealously in it. Here comes Dr Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero who became so professional in her job, with no public scandal of note unlike Honorable Betty, full of scandals everywhere she goes. Full of corruption and economic crimes; Dr Jane has not featured in scandals as recorded by major media houses.

“She (Minister Betty) is coming to Lira City on UPC ticket but everybody knows that she got all her powers from NRM. President Museveni knows that he’s the one who empowered her.”

Ambassador Moto has urged Amongi to use the powers she gained from NRM strategically to empower Lango’s children. “She is going to have it very rough here in Lira City because people don’t know her. Secondly, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero has put in place public assets through her office to benefit us and the generations to come.”

He adds that Dr. Aceng “means what she says; she developed a manifesto and implemented 90 percent of that manifesto.”

“It’s going to be very difficult for anybody or any party to uproot Dr Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero from this office of Lira City woman MP. I personally strongly support her openly without fear nor favour.”

Addressing a rally after relocating to Lira City, Amongi said “she’s going to win.”