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BY RICHARD DRASIMAKU
ARUA: MONDAY, JULY 7, 2025
“We are not electing an Imam (Islamic cleric), we are electing a Mayor for the Central Division. We saw that in 10-years of leadership, Charles Asiki united the people, tribalism was minimized and the town was clean.”
That was the message from Swali Sadala, the LC1 chairman of Kirab Cell in Kenya Ward to residents who are predominantly Muslims.
He made the remarks during a campaign rally by Charles Asiki, the former Mayor for Arua who is campaigning for the National Resistance Movement Flag for the fourth coming general elections.
Three other candidates are contesting for the coveted position, Saidy Baguma, Wahab Alege and Mansur Banga.
Asiki said he drew inspiration for leadership when he watched a news on television while on a trip to Kampala.
That time Akiki was a tutor at Muni National Teachers College and the news he watched was so deplorable that he felt something had to be done.
“They brought some people who had visited Arua from Kampala and they said when they arrived in the town, they were welcomed by flies and filth,” Asiki recalled.
“And I said if this is what people are talking about us let me come and check. On return I walked through the town and I found huge heaps of garbage that were emitting bad smell. Near the hospital morgue, the road was almost blocked by garbage, go-down road was, the same, inform of Abiriambati church and behind Arua-one station the garbage was terrible.
When he tried to contest in 2001, he lost largely because the people voted on tribal and religious lines. But it was a different story in 2006 and 2011 as the people came out of that fallacy of tribal religious segregation.
He swiftly introduced several programs such as the October annual beautification week, and routine testing of water quality in the taps, boreholes, and ablution containers for Ecoli that introduced a semblance of hygiene leaving it primed for renaming as a regional city.
In fact the April 2015 recognition of Arua as the second best small city in Africa by the United Cities and local governments’ alliance was the icing on the cake for a decade of distinguished as well as transformative leadership.
“We had a program in partnership with the slum dwellers federation, we build a one stop youth center for skills training, but the only thing taking place at that place is kickboxing and aerobics,” he said regrettably.
He has instructed his campaign coordinators to register all the widows in the Central Division saying they along with youths would be a group for priority consideration for support when he gets back to office.
Muzamil Acema, his campaign coordinator confirmed being issued with that instruction to register widows.
He also urged the people to support Asiki saying he will lead a malaria control program, and fight impropriety in the Division Council.
Asiki said these are some of the reasons he is seeking a return to “Make Arua Great Again” because as an experienced leader he had led the municipality for 10 solid years propelling it into a city but most of the things he set up have fallen apart since his departure.
Zaitun Aliru, a resident of the congested Kebir, a suburb of Arua City appreciated Asiki for the work he did in the previous period when he was the Mayor and pledge unconditional support for his return.
In deed our area was most hit by cholera and you helped to stop that disease. We were actually disappointed when you tried to go for Member of Parliament in 2016, that is why we did not support you at that time,” she said.
“Now we are happy again to see you campaigning for that office of Mayor because that is where we want you to be,” Aliru said.
