By Comrade Newton Noble Odongo
When the story of NRM’s difficult birth in Lango is finally written, one name will stand out like a lonely mango tree in a dry field — Sam Engola.
Between 1986 and 1996, when mentioning NRM in Lango sub-region was as dangerous as announcing you had Ebola at a wedding, it was Sam Engola alongside a handful of souls like Rev. Yeko Ongora Atwai (RIP), Ejura John (RIP) and Raymond Ogomarach (RIP) who stood tall.
All kept waving the yellow flag when everyone else rejected NRM.
At the time, UPC ad hoc committee under the stewardship of Rev. Opolo Apelo had created a militia-like gang ominously called “The Lira Boys” – young, fierce and more stubborn than a goat in a maize field.
These guys acted like the unofficial UPC army. They didn’t just oppose NRM; they made it clear: no other political flavor was welcome in Lango unless it was UPC vanilla.
Poor Sam Engola and his few loyal comrades faced wrath like no other. One unforgettable incident? A dead dog was dressed in an NRM T-shirt and dumped in front of St. Lira Hotel — the ultimate insult, the loudest “No Entry” sign to NRM in Lango.
But did Engola pack his bags and cry in a corner? Nope. The man pressed on, tirelessly.
Even as the public mocked him, even as he lost election after election (so many that losing almost became his middle name), Sam Engola continued serving.
He donated to churches, supported communities, connected students to State House scholarships, helped people secure jobs doing more good in one year than some politicians manage in a lifetime.
Despite the bitter coldness of the Lango political landscape, it wasn’t until much later, almost out of pity and admiration — that the people of Erute South finally sent him to 8th Parliament.
You could say it was less a landslide and more like throwing him a lifeline.
Fast forward to 2007, when some former die-hard UPC members started seeing the “light” in the NRM bus after getting locked out of UPC leadership by the Akena Obote faction, people like Franco Ojur and Rebecca Otengo and many of the former “Lira Boys” themselves quickly found their way onto the yellow bus like students late for school.
You’d think this would be Engola’s time to shine, …..right? Wrong.
President Museveni, understandably excited by these new converts, shifted his gaze to the fresh faces, sidelining Engola like an old bicycle in a car showroom.
Some of these new entrants even began whispering sweet nothings into the President’s ear about Engola and not in a good way.
And yet, through it all, Engola remained the man with a heart bigger than Lake Kyoga.
I’ve personally never met him (maybe fate is saving that day for something special), but every account of him paints a picture of a man who doesn’t know the word “stranger.”
Whether you’re a big man in a three-piece suit or a barefoot villager, Sam Engola treats you like you’re long-lost cousins at a family reunion.
Recently, while strolling through Barr, I learned something that left me wide-eyed: Sam Engola had quietly secured a shs2.5 billion electricity project for the people there. No press conferences. No WhatsApp hullabaloo, Facebook, TikTok; no radio jingles/talk shows.
Just a silent, life-changing impact. If it had been one of these “new age” politicians, trust me, we’d be choking on hashtags and radio talk shows till next year!
Sam Engola is clearly not in politics to trend, he’s there because he genuinely loves people. Frankly, I believe even if he retired from politics today, he’d still live comfortably without needing to dance at rallies or stage photoshoots at boreholes.
If I were a registered NRM voter (which, sadly, I’m not), I’d vote for Sam Engola without blinking — whether he was running for office or just running a local SACCO. A vote for Engola is a vote for the common man, the greater good, and real leadership.
Young politicians rise so fast these days and you’d think they were fueled by Red Bull — but sadly, their impact is barely felt.
In contrast, Sam Engola has walked the hard road, lost countless times, and yet his contributions are solid, undeniable, and felt to the bone.
For these reasons; his heart of gold and his selfless service to the people, I confidently recommend Engola Sam for any position he seeks. No reservations.
The writer is human rights advocate and development professional.
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