Alebtong: Ajuri and Moroto voters preferred teachers to represent them in 12th parliament

Voters in Moroto and Ajuri counties in Alebtong district overwhelmingly chose senior educators to represent them in the 12th Parliament.

This decision, among others, follows the district’s poor performance in the 2024 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), where it ranked last out of ten districts in Lango sub-region. Dokolo and Lira districts followed as the second and third worst performers, respectively, with Oyam in fourth place.

The newly elected Moroto County MP, Leo Elem is an educationist from a top school in Lira City. On Monday, October 21, 2024, he addressed head teachers, teachers, and stakeholders at Alebtong district headquarters, distributing preparatory PLE materials to improve education standards.

Elem, elected on January 15, 2026, observed that many rural schools lack exposure to high-quality preparatory exams, leaving students unprepared and fearful of final assessments.

“Now I’m an MP-elect, and my colleague from Ajuri County is also a teacher, including the Alebtong district LC5 chairperson-elect. We are going to change the face of education in the entire district,” Elem declared.

He aims to significantly increase the number of first grades from the current 30, set against the 3,999 candidates Alebtong presented for the 2024 PLE.

Elem defeated the incumbent NRM MP, Eng. Samuel Okwir Odwee. Official results from the Alebtong District Electoral Returning Officer show UPC’s Leo Elem won with 16,204 votes, against Okwir Odwee’s 10,912.

Other candidates included independent Sam Ogwal (5,572 votes), Patrick Olang (409), Leo Bua of NUP (190), and Martin Amuja (164).

The Ajuri County MP-elect, Jalameso Fred—a senior secondary school teacher—expressed dismay that only 14 pupils in his county passed in Division One during the tenure of a powerful minister Obua Denis Hamson in the 11th Parliament.

“How could this happen if the world is seeing that Alebtong district is the worst performing on PLE results?” he questioned.

Jalameso welcomed the new leadership, stating, “I’m very happy to hear that the teaching profession will run the district for over five years.” He believes the unity of MP-elects Leo Elem (UPC), himself (UPC), and the NRM LC5 Chairperson-elect—all teachers—will drive educational development in Alebtong.

He further reflected: “Why do you think God has granted all teachers to take over the leadership in the district? It means those who were in power did not value monitoring government programs such as schools, facilities, roads, and others.”

The trend of electing educators was confirmed in the district chairperson race, where the returning officer, Michael Olobo, declared Ambrose Ongom Ongom (NRM) the winner with 24,208 votes against the incumbent DK Odongo (UPC), who received 9,614 votes.

Ongom is also a teacher by profession.