By Mulengera Reporters
In his strongly-worded 10th December letter addressed to President YK Museveni, the Rtd Anglican Kitgum Diocese Bishop Macleod Baker Ochola demanded that the Commander-in-Chief investigates, establishes and punishes his fellow NRM leaders who (he says) planned and implemented the street violence Robert Kyagulanyi endured on Saturday 6th December as he arrived to campaign in Gulu City.
In his two-page letter, copied to EC Chairman Simon Byabakama and UHRC Chairperson Mariam Wangadya, Ochola fearlessly declares that the violence was carried out by a group of children who survived the LRA war period but are now economically vulnerable and therefore easy to manipulate by self-seeking politicians from the ruling NRM party.
Without disclosing names, he describes these as “cowardly and criminal-minded” NRM politicians who he claims intoxicated and manipulated these vulnerable young boys to beat and harm peaceful citizens of Gulu City who were desirous to come to the rally, listen to Kyagulanyi and determine if he deserves their vote for President. The bishop reveals to Gen Museveni that these war-ruined young boys have been formed into something called Yellow Boda-Boda, also locally christened Aguu.
The bishop makes it clear that these acts don’t represent the spontaneous views of the Acholi people who, having come from decades of ruinous LRA war, wouldn’t want to see anyone suffer political or any other form of violence. He also makes it clear that the Acholi, and more so those living in Gulu, are cosmopolitan-oriented and there is no way they can desire to politically harm Kyagulanyi or any other Presidential Candidate merely because of their ethnicity or where they come from.
He adds that the rest of Uganda should understand that those are acts of a few rogue-minded politicians and not the entire Acholi as an ethnic or tribal community. He castigates and curses the NRM politicians who have resorted to weaponizing such young “delinquent children” who actually need help and genuine rehabilitation to overcome the vulnerability the very traumatising LRA war exposed them to.
The Bishop calls upon Justice Byabakama to understand his legal mandate as EC Chairman and to take charge and assert himself because it’s him, and no one else, who has to have the last word on the regulation of all campaign activities and processes that are legally under the 2026 election road map which was proclaimed by none other than his own good self. He implies that falling short of doing a good job will cause posterity to hold Byabakamba personally responsible for whatever might end up going wrong as Ugandans count down to 15th January 2026.
The letter is co-authored, signed, owned and validated by other influential non-political Acholi leaders-including former Supreme Court Judge Galdino Moro Okello as Vice Chairman of WANG-OO-Heritage Ltd for which Bishop Ochola serves as Board Chairman.
The other signatories include ex-Chua County MP (in Kitgum) John Livingstone Okello-Okello who serves as the Chairman of the executive committee of WANG-OO-Heritage Ltd. The other two signatories are BILA-AWAK Chairman Okello Otto and Gulu City Woman MP Betty Aol Ocan (for & on behalf of Acholi Parliamentary Group).
Some pundits have opportunistically been attempting a spin aimed at portraying the last Saturday violent events and clashes in Gulu City as proof that NUP’s Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu is an unwanted species in the Acholi-land.
And quite predictably, Gen Museveni will most likely simply ignore the Rt Rev Mcleod Baker Ochola’s protest letter and carry on with his political work as his primary focus clearly remains on securing re-election on 15th January 2026-and deal with the rest later. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
