Dozens of youth in Oyam district have accused some security officials and NRM leaders of the district, including the Office of the National Chairman (ONC) of connivance and corruption before and during the January 15 polls.
Addressing the press in Lira City on Liberation Day, January 26, Nyero Moses, NRM chairperson for Myene sub-county, accused the ONC coordinator Adong Sandra and Opudu Robert, demanding “immediate action” against the duo for not spending over shs7.4m meant for facilitating youth hired to protect votes for their candidate (now President-elect), Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Nyero said some polling agents were paid – others not. Some were paid shs10,000 as opposed to shs50,000 initially approved for facilitation.
Edwok Maxwel, NRM youth chairperson of Oyam district said that with evidence, they were shocked to learn that the director of finance and administration at Uganda Electoral Commission, Cyprian Ogwang was in Oyam on polling day, where he masterminded electoral malpractice.
Ogwang, Edwok said, connived with some NRM party leaders, and security officers to “rig the election” and ensure the youth’s target of Museveni getting 95% in Oyam district was not achieved.
Edwok, and his youth, have planned a peaceful demonstration against security officials and NRM bosses in Oyam in five days, effective January 26, 2026.
They want an official statement on non-payments of polling agents (corruption) and why they failed some NRM flagbearers on January 15.
“The youth of Oyam needs transparency in all areas,” Edwok said. “I also want to state it clearly that in the ONC, 98% of people who were deployed in each and every polling station ensuring that the election moved smoothly were the youth.”
On the involvement of Cyprian Ogwang in this month’s parliamentary election, Edwok said it’s not a surprise. “It’s not a surprise because for the last 15 years, the issue of disturbance during the processes of elections has been happening in Oyam.”
Okia Amos, general secretary for the youth council, Oyam, said youth encountered some of the challenges they never expected. “As you know, youth have been the spearhead of…when it comes to mobilisation during election time.”
Acio Robinah, NRM cadre and UNSA youth representative for Oyam, said the way finances were handled was not the right way. “The cash flow from the national to the grassroots was not very clear. Actually, most of our youth who were employed in running up or supporting different areas in elections did not get their payments on time.
“Some got halfway, others have not got yet. These are the very people whom they called, trained and promised them payment on time. These people delivered but in turn, they were not paid.”
If this is not addressed, Acio predicts that in five years, the “future of NRM in Oyam district is not promising because most of the people in Oyam – 80% are youth and they are promising, they are youth growing up in leadership.”
James Shilaku, RDC of Oyam, in an interview with tndNews, Uganda on Friday, said: “I have neither received their complaint nor request to demonstrate.
“A demonstration has a guideline on how to do it. It’s a procedural matter – you don’t just wake up and demonstrate,” the RDC told angry youth in Oyam district.
The RDC stated that the issues annoying youth can be addressed. “Let them come to the office. A demonstration is not a solution to this,” he added.
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