Related Articles
BY RICHARD DRASIMAKU
ARUA CITY: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2025
“If service delivery was tagged to a Member of Parliament roaring like a lion, the Arua-Nebbi-Pakwach road would be a first class tarmack road,” Eng William Tiyo Odaa, one of the aspirants vying for the flag of the National Resistance Movement in Ayivu East constituency has said.
“But to lobby for resources from a military General leading a country, you need a voice of humility,” he emphatically pointed out.
With the battle lines drown out following the issuance of nomination forms by the electoral commission of the NRM, the race in Ayivu East constituency has attracted a plethora of politicians.
The most vocal of candidates are the incumbent MP Geoffrey Feta and the former Gender and Social Services Minister Sr Zoe Bakoko Bakoru who returned from 18-year-old acrimonious exile in the United States of America last year.
Eng Tiyo comes from a family with a strong Democratic Party background as a grandson to to the legendary former member of the first Legislative Council, the late Gaspero Oda. Oda went on to become a Member of Parliament, parliamentary secretary and eventual minister. He was killed by unknown gunman during the insecurity of 1982.
However the family has since pivoted to the NRM following President Yoweri Museveni’s attendance of the memorial service for Odaaa on Septeber 13, 2014.
A holder of Masters of Construction Engineering Management from the East London University and a former Water engineer and district Engineer of Arua district, Eng Tiyo has joined politics after 24 years of civil service with clean record.
His first employment was as an Engineering Assistant in a Construction Firm (Harmony Technical Services) in Lira District before joining Arua DLG as an Engineering Assistant for Water in July 2000. He then rose in the ranks of civil service from which he exited on early retirement scheme on January 30, 2025.
Eng Tiyo has unveiled an economic and social contract program that hinges on lobbying friends to complement government efforts to realize sustainable development goals and Vision 2040 in Ayivu East Constituency.
The aim is to improve road networks, water and sanitation as well as boosting household incomes through support to village savings and loan associations and agricultural productivity to bring about real transformation in the constituency.
He said these will add to the usual role of a Member of Parliament to legislate, allocate budget and carryout oversight roles.
“I am already doing some of the things, especially in Water and sanitation. I spoke to friends who have supported drilling of two boreholes (in Andiku Cell in Anipi Ward and Alia Cell in Eleku Ward), adding that the boreholes would soon be launched and handed over to the City authorities for meaningful ownership and sustainability purposes,” he said in an interview.
Eng Tiyo said whereas the government cannot do everything by itself, a good leader needs to be cognizant of the strategic vision and development plans in order to tell people factual promises which can be actualized.
“We have been in the business of people promising anything without knowing what the government strategic priorities are and how dynamic they can be. For instance in 2020 when COVID19 hit the country, the government diverted sh94b from the ministry of works and transport to ministry of health to respond to the pandemic. And that affected the third quarter disbursement for roads maintenance,” he explained.
Eng Tiyo said he mapped out the entire roads network for Arua City while he was the District Engineer and he managed to solve some of the challenges using strategic government programs such as DRDIP under the Office of the Prime Minister and USMID under the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development.
He said he was aware of which roads and bridges need urgent construction to improve mobility for business and socio-economic transformation.
“I believe that I will have a meaningful contribution towards solving the community problems through working to achieve improved transport connectivity, water and sanitation, community empowerment through support to VSLA among others,” said Eng Tiyo.
Eng Tiyo cautioned the people to be aware of the fact that many times good leaders slip through the fingers of the community because voters get carried away by empty populism, monetary handouts and laxity to vote.
“On July 16, 2025, come out in big numbers and exercise your civic responsibility by voting for me. This vote is yours and let us not miss this opportunity to decide,” he urged the people of Ayivu East constituency.
you are de quality Ayivu East is crying for we pray God hears our cry