I wake up every day knowing I have to finish my father’s task – Ojok Oulanyah

I was born on August 29, 1989, in Lalogi to the late Oulanyah and Ms Christine Ataro. I started my primary education at Bario PS but later moved to Kampala and finished at Buganda Road PS.

Then I progressed to St Mary’s College Kisubi for the six years of my secondary education. I scored highly and won a government scholarship to study for my bachelor’s degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics in Algeria. In Algeria, I learnt French to add on German, Luganda and Lango. I speak all fluently.

I came back to Uganda and joined the National Information Technology Authority-Uganda (NITA-U) in 2015 up to April 2022 when I resigned to vie for this position.

While at NITA-U, I held various roles, among which included negotiations, lobbying and strategy development. I had to negotiate for official contracts on behalf of government.

READ: Museveni picks Oulanyah's son to represent NRM in Omoro by-election

I am currently finalising my master’s degree in ICT Management, Policy and Architectural Design at Uganda Martyrs University.

I got married in 2017 to a beautiful young woman called Charity together with whom we now have two children.

How did you feel when your family contacted you to replace your father?

I felt deeply humbled and honoured, considering my father’s status. I usually do not despise politics, but because people misuse politics, in my own way I don’t think my father was a politician. He was a leader, a statesman who served for the good of the common man, beyond the spirit of politics itself.

While I have the benefit of adopting my father’s connections, I wake up every day knowing that my major task will be to ensure that his vision for the people of Omoro County comes true.

It is a huge task, but I am also comforted by the fact that this task will take collective efforts using the existing structures that he had already established.

We have at our disposal the best team of political advisors, strategists and allies in the country. 

We are very confident of victory ahead of us. Our wish is that the campaigns and elections are conducted peacefully and fairly so that we are strengthened and more united after the process as a people in the constituency.

Were you being groomed by your father for politics?

One thing that I have to put clear is that I am new to politics, but I am not new to leadership.

In this unfortunate situation, it was not my intention or wish to vie for that position. I can’t say I expected to contest; my father had a term of five years and thus it would be unnatural and insensitive to say I was ready for this contest. But I have been called to step in that shoe because only I, as his own, understands his vision better.

I have always been part of his campaign team and he was always happy to have me around because I am good at doing analysis.

We could look at all polling stations after elections and know where we have done well and where we haven’t done well.

So, I know what he has been doing for the constituency and I know we can carry on. He wasn’t a man of goodbyes because he knew that there should never be a vacuum. That is the same way he did for Parliament.

He kept empowering people because he knew his time was near. But he would never tell you that “I am pulling you up so that you can take over from me”.

How prepared are you for the contest ahead?

I am more than ready to face the task. I have a very capable team that can help me execute everything.

We are very confident of victory because I have done a lot of consultation and the reception is just amazing. For your information, Omoro is big: Omoro is the people and I am the aspiration of the people.

The Omoro by-election should not be a do-or-die affair, so the kind of leadership I am going to provide is transformational where people will have the power since they are the voters.

I bring in the servant-mentality leadership that I want to commit myself to Omoro because I want to deliberately finish all that my father started, and it is a mission that has to be completed.

How easy was it to get all the other six NRM aspirants to step down for you?

They only stepped down in solidarity with the family. Two weeks ago, before the party issued its official position, we were not sure whether we would undergo primary elections and who the candidate would be.

I want to thank the NRM party chairman (President Museveni) who eventually gave me the flag.

Your opponents are talking about your “political immaturity”

My father lived a private life, especially for the family, and I believe he had his reasons.

READ: EC declares Omoro County seat vacant

But I was part of all his campaigns, but in the background. He didn’t introduce me because he didn’t want the attention to shift to me. He wanted us to live our own lives and have our own identities. 

I know I can lead the people even without necessarily being of exactly his identity. What is important is whether I can unite the people, settle conflicts and represent the voice of the voiceless people.

What is your vision for Omoro?

The vision bearer for this constituency is my late father Oulanyah, but also his vision was anchored on the NRM manifesto. Besides the NRM manifesto, there are areas into which I will deliberately invest a lot of effort to see that it changes.

When you look at the NRM manifesto, on wealth creation and increasing household income, there are interventions such as Dano-pa-Dano Foundation that I have taken charge of, which is now empowering communities and helping them to sustain themselves.

But key among these interventions, I have to cause mindset change; the people have to be tuned to believe that they would not fail in increasing and strengthening their household income.

Another area we are looking at is education. Whereas we only have a single seed secondary school in Lakwana Sub-county, it will be my role to ensure that I lobby and ensure that all these sub-counties have seed schools.

It will also be my responsibility to lobby government and make sure that all these existing schools are face-lifted to match the modern standards with state-of-the-art equipment and good teachers.

In his capacity, my father sponsored about 160 students. We want to be able to make sure that the mission does not die. We are preparing to carry that dream forward through the revamped Jacob Oulanyah Education Trust Fund.

Besides lobbying for the fast-tracking of the tarmacking of Moroto Road within the remaining four years, access to electricity and clean and safe water is a priority on my plans for the people of Omoro County.

I will also ensure that the upgrade of Lalogi Health Centre IV into a district general hospital is fast-tracked because this will boost the capacity of the facility to provide quality health services for the population.

You running for Parliament adds to a trend of families sending one of their own to replace another as MP. How do you respond to people who criticise the practise?

Going to Parliament is a privilege. It is a very humbling experience because you don’t send yourself, you are sent by the people.

Once you forget that power belongs to the people, then you have failed, and that is when they will use the same powers to vote you out because you are not representing them, just like it has also happened to such lawmakers you are referring to.

So, my intention is to be a voice of the people, by representing them wholly because without that voice everything is useless, and that is the principle I intend to go in there with.

READ: Joint meeting drops bid to front Oulanyah son for Omoro MP seat

To speak for and represent the interest of the people of Omoro, lobby for them and cause development as well as participate in the formulation of legislation that works for the interest of, not only my people, but the entire country.

The race 
NUP fronts candi-date  
National Unity Platform (NUP) this week fronted former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) member Simon Tolit Akecha as its flag-bearer in the forthcoming Omoro County by-election.
Mr Tolit triumphed over five other contestants for the same slot to emerge winner.
Mr Tolit has previously contested for the same seat on FDC ticket but lost to Oulanyah. Each time he lost, the former MP petitioned court on grounds that Oulanyah stole the vote but the petition would be dismissed for lack of sufficient evidence.