UPC's Betty Amongi says she is Confident of Victory Against NRM's Dr. Aceng as Lira City Woman MP As The Race Heats Up.
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Minister of Gender, Labour, and Social Development Betty Amongi Akena has expressed strong confidence in her bid for the Lira City Woman Member of Parliament seat, describing the race as “not hotly contested” and claiming she already commands over 70% support on the ground.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with NBS Television on Monday, Amongi outlined her campaign agenda and targeted her main rival, Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero. Amongi, a senior figure in the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) and the current Oyam South MP, recently shifted her political base by transferring her polling station from Minakulu Sub-county to Lira City Senior Quarters A—a move widely seen as her formal entry into the city’s high-stakes 2026 parliamentary contest.
“Make no mistake, I am going to win. This seat is over 70% in my favour. My agenda focuses on economic empowerment for youth and women, infrastructure development to facilitate trade, and social development,” she said.
Amongi criticized her opponent for running a passive campaign, saying Aceng is “relying on government programs” and “has no initiative whatsoever.” She also claimed that Aceng has dismissed “over 80% of NRM chairpersons in Lira City” for supporting her UPC candidacy.
“If you come to my home or my campaigns, you will find chairpersons of the NRM who are supporting me,” Amongi said, emphasizing her broad cross-party grassroots support.
Amongi further pledged to expand ongoing skilling programs and roll out affordable capital at 10% interest for small businesses. Her campaign slogan, “Oribcing ol-weny wunu ikom can, bed i cente icao”, translates as “Let’s join hands to fight poverty and have money in our pockets.”
She also highlighted industrialization as a key priority, promising to operationalize the Lira Industrial Park, noting that two investors—one from Korea and another from Dubai—are ready to invest.
Amongi has had a long parliamentary career, first joining Parliament in 2001 as the Apac District Woman MP, later representing Oyam South County from 2011, and defending that seat in 2016 and 2021. She holds professional qualifications in International Relations, Political Science, and Gender and Development Studies, and has previously served as Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, and Minister for Kampala Capital City.
Her main rival, Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero, who has served as Lira City Woman MP since May 2021, has also declared herself the outright favorite for re-election.
Aceng, known nationally for leading Uganda’s COVID-19 response, cited “genuine love and tangible gains” from her tenure as the basis for her confidence. She won the seat in 2021 with 63.7% of the vote.
Independent candidate Patricia Aceng Ogwang has also declared her candidacy, focusing on health and sanitation, urban farming, and education and child empowerment. Ogwang, a journalist and public health advocate, is the founder of Wanacel Foundation, a women’s rights and advocacy organization based in Lira City.
The rivalry between Amongi and Aceng has reportedly caused tensions within the ruling National Resistance Movement in Lango. NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong warned in September 2024 that the feud “is creating divisions within the party and eroding public confidence.”
With Lira City home to over 245,000 residents and recently designated as an industrial and commercial hub, the 2026 Woman MP race is shaping up as one of the most closely watched contests in the region.
Analysts predict an intense battle between two senior cabinet ministers with national visibility and entrenched political networks, each positioning themselves as champions of development, unity, and grassroots empowerment.
As the election season approaches, Lira City is set to become a focal point for the UPC-NRM rivalry, with potential implications for broader political dynamics in Lango.
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