Lira | After weeks of intense social media speculation and progadanga mooted messages targeting Lira City woman MP Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero on various social media platforms, her office has issued a statement to clarify.
In those messages written and spread by her political opponents or their agents, they claimed that Dr. Aceng is distributing 20 liters of cooking oil to Lira City voters in a “vote buying” scheme.
According to some reports, she (Dr. Aceng, who also serves as the health minister) has brought COVID-19 jerrycans, which are government property, for her campaign.
In some WhatsApp groups, members attempted to connect the jerrycans that had yet to be distributed to handhoes distributed by Aceng’s political opponent for the Lira City woman MP seat in 2026, Betty Amongi.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday from Dr. Aceng’s political office in Junior Quarters, Lira City, Zena Opolot, the MP’s political assistant, dismissed political opponents’ allegations as “baseless propaganda” aimed at undermining Aceng’s development record.
Opolot, accompanied by Jacob Ocen, NRM publicity secretary for Lira district, gave a detailed account of her principal’s accomplishments.
She described what an opponent and her agents are spreading or discussing as a “coordinated smear campaign” against Dr. Aceng ahead of the 2026 general elections.
According to Zena Opolot, Dr. Aceng has fulfilled 85% of her 2021 manifesto pledges as a Lira City woman MP.
She cited improved water access, as well as the rehabilitation of 150 boreholes and 80 springs.
These water sources, she said, has helped the Lira City poor communities who used to share water points with animals.
Distribution of farming tools (hand hoes) and high-yield seeds to farmers, particularly in rural areas, she said, MP Aceng has done it.
Financial and technical assistance have been provided to 175 youth and women groups through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
She noted that plans are underway to distribute clean jerrycans “not cooking oil” as being speculated.
The jerrycans to be donated to the city’s poor households is part of a hygiene promotion program, a decision critics have wrongly labeled as a “COVID-19 leftover.”
“The ongoing issues that we have changed from distributing 20 liters of cooking oil to 5 litres are all propaganda,” Opolot said.
“I urge you (Lira City electorate) to be calm. When you hear Zena Opolot or any officer from the office of Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero makes a phone call, then you will know that we are coming – but I want you to know that we have enough jerrycans.
“The jerrycans are for the outskirts people – who have problems fetching water. We have worked on boreholes and spring water but they still have problems,” Opolot added.
Meanwhile, Jacob Ocen, reaffirmed the NRM party’s support for Dr. Aceng, warning opposition groups against “inciting public unrest through false narratives.”
He described cooking oil distribution as big “lies and propaganda” by those who have been fearing Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng.
Ocen aso stated that the agenda of Dr. Jane is not to distribute handhoes in Lira City, not even cooking oil. “Those moving from City East and West telling people that Dr. Jane is going to distribute hoes and cooking oil are liars.”
“Dr. Jane, your esteemed MP, when she has anything to give out to her electorate or do, there are ways she communicates to the masses, there are ways she communicates to her electorate,” said Ocen.
Ocen revealed that the NRM would “not hesitate to take legal action” if defamatory campaigns continue – something he said might jeopardize city development.
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