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BY RICHARD DRASIMAKU
ARUA: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2025
With his nomination successfully concluded, Eng William Taylor Tiyo Odaa, the National Resistance Movement candidate for the Ayivu East Constituency has declared that his focus will be fixated on the plight of the common man once the electoral milestone of January 15, 2026 is passed.
“In the past, the plight of the common man has never been the main focus of leadership in our society. It is therefore imperative that the representative of Ayivu East in the 12th Parliament recognizes the need for socio-economic transformation and peaceful coexistence of the community regardless of the cultural differences,” he said.
He said this will be achieved through galvanizing the people to fully participate in the socio-economic transformation efforts within the frame work of the ruling government.
This is to ensure that the people reap benefit from the city as a market opportunity and also utilize the economic and cultural connectivity to Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.
Tiyo took cognizance of the fact that West Nile has for years ranked badly in the national poverty index and asserted that it is time to wake up reality and rally the people to get out of this quagmire.
He outlined a manifesto that he said will anchor as a subset of the NRM manifesto presented to the nation by Presidential candidate Yoweri Museveni.
Key issues in Eng Tiyo’s development program are fostering mindset change campaign to enable the people to embrace urban farming, contributing to post-secondary education through skilling youths,women and people with disabilities; improving primary and secondary school infrastructure, road infrastructure improvement and ensuring increased access to safe water and electricity.
The “mother” NRM manifesto under the theme; ‘protecting the gains” is crafted to guide the Uganda in making a qualitative leap into the upper-middle income status by 2040.
Accordingly, the NRM’s campaign promise emphasizes growing the economy and creating wealth, infrastructure development, human capital development, democracy, good governance, security and regional integration and political federation.
Variable Geometry to guide EAC Federation
Speaking of the political federation of the East African Community, President Museveni elaborated in a media briefing in Arua that they will use a concept of variable geometry in discussions with the leaders of the other member states so that those who are ready will move ahead with the federation.
“We are having elections here, next year in Tanzania President Samia Suluhu will be involved in elections and other countries will also conduct theirs. Once the elections are done, we will sit and chart the way forward,” said President Museveni.
Museveni expounded that the concept of variable geometry will give chance for member states that are not yet ready to sort their internal disorganization and join the political federation.
However, the president stressed that the key reason of political federation is to safeguard the future of the people of East Africa and open the market for their products.
“Federation means you become one point, one entity. For example, because West Nile is part of Uganda, you cannot put tax on goods from West Nile crossing at Pakwach and that helps business,” he said.
