Kampala | Julius Acon Bua, the Member of Parliament for Otuke East and a two-time Olympian, is leveraging his sporting pedigree to drive a dual agenda of national tourism promotion and grassroots community development.
Acon, a former World Junior Champion who represented Uganda at the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Olympics, on Tuesday held a crucial meeting with the Deputy Speaker and the Clerk to Parliament.
The discussions centered on finalising preparations for the upcoming Rwenzori Marathon on 22nd August and the establishment of a dedicated Parliament Tourism Week .
The meeting, which included tourism magnate Amos Wekesa and Sebulime Peter, President of the National Tourism Events Organisers Federation (NTEOF), underscores Parliament’s commitment to using major events as catalysts for economic growth .
Acon’s athletic journey is one of resilience, having escaped captivity during the insurgency before rising to become Uganda’s first World Junior gold medalist in 1994.
He has carried this champion’s spirit into his legislative work, where he is renowned for a hands-on approach to fighting poverty in Otuke East.
“I have distributed goats, sheep, seeds, and drilled boreholes for my people of Otuke East to combat poverty and boost household income,” Acon stated, emphasising a philosophy of giving constituents tools to build their own wealth .
His “poverty-fighting drive” has seen the distribution of over 200 goats to community groups and the drilling of more than 120 boreholes, ensuring clean water and sustainable livelihoods for thousands of households.
This blend of asset-based support and infrastructure development has earned him recognition as one of the continent’s leading humanitarians.
At the parliamentary meeting, stakeholders highlighted the success of the Rwenzori Marathon, which has grown from 800 participants in 2022 to a globally recognised World Athletics Label event expected to attract over 20,000 runners in 2026 .
Amos Wekesa noted that the marathon injected over shs15 billion into the Kasese economy last year alone.
The proposed Parliament Tourism Week aims to educate legislators on the economic potential of tourism, encouraging leaders to invest in income-generating ventures that can create jobs for Ugandans .
MP Acon, who recently won a gold medal for Uganda in the 1500m at the Inter-Parliamentary Games, used the platform to issue a broader challenge to his colleagues.
He appealed to other leaders to “prioritise serving the interests of their people rather than personal gains,” calling for a collective effort to lead the fight against poverty.
By Ronald Alele
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