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Achola Catherine declares bid to contest for Pallisa Woman MP 2026

Pallisa: Ms Achola Catherine, a renowned and down-to-earth politician in Pallisa, has officially declared her interest in contesting for the District Woman Member of Parliament position in the forthcoming 2026 general elections. The seat is currently held by Hon. Kevin Kaala.

During an exclusive interview with DailyExpress, Ms Achola clarified that she is not vying for the Pallisa district chairperson seat, as widely rumoured, but instead aims for the Woman Member of Parliament position.

“I am a seasoned politician who is conscious of what to say in public. I couldn’t move around before the Electoral Commission unearthed the road map because it would contradict what the Constitution, which I am committed to upholding, stipulates. I would also like to state that I will not be a mere political substitute for Pallisa but a game-changer in the district’s development, which is greatly lagging behind,” she asserted.

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Achola, who was formerly a staunch supporter of the FDC before crossing to NRM, cited numerous solutions to the issues she had raised while in the opposition. She expressed confidence in seizing the NRM ticket during the forthcoming primaries to pave the way for the February 2026 elections.

However, the Woman MP hopeful distanced herself from circulating posters on social media that portrayed her as an independent candidate.

“I was a big critic of NRM in Pallisa because of poor social service delivery and infrastructure. However, the tarmacking of the Tirinyi to Kumi road via Pallisa, the Pallisa-Kamonkoli road, the creation of lower administrative units, and the agro-economic initiatives have addressed some of these issues. I had to join NRM because it sorted these concerns,” Achola explained.

Achola emphasized her desire to collaborate with stakeholders in the education sector to address challenges and find solutions.

“It frustrates me to note that out of over 20,000 pupils who enroll for primary one, only 6,000 complete the seven-year course. Out of those 6,000, only 78 scored Division One in the last two years, which is just the performance of a single school in other districts. There should be a hidden issue beyond the lack of midday meals,” Achola lamented.

She added that Kasodo Technical Institute should be elevated to a polytechnic and stressed the need for follow-up on the coding of 17 schools. She highlighted that Boliso sub-county is particularly disadvantaged, with only one government primary school, no secondary school, and a Health Center III. Additionally, four community primary schools remain uncoded.

Who is Achola Catherine?

Achola Catherine is the daughter of the late John Alfred Osupelem and Ms Agwang Penniah of Kakusi village, Kibale parish, Kibale Sub-county, Kibale County, Pallisa District. She has vied for the Woman Member of Parliament position since 2016.

In the highly contested 2016 general elections, Achola vied for the seat on the FDC ticket and claimed victory but alleged that it was unjustly taken away, resulting in her loss to Hon. Agnes Amede.

In the 2018 by-elections, after Amede opted for the new Butebo District, Achola again contested as the FDC flag bearer but was disqualified just six days before the vote. She eventually crossed to NRM in June 2020.

Just two months after joining NRM, she participated in the NRM primaries, scoring 20,960 genuine votes against competitors who had participated in previous party elections. Achola also participated as an independent in the 2021 general election but remains committed to the NRM and the people of Pallisa.

She is passionate about fostering unity in diversity for socio-economic empowerment by supporting government agro-business programs for poverty alleviation. She is particularly passionate about coffee, cocoa, and banana growing to improve household incomes. Achola urges the people of Pallisa to embrace government poverty alleviation programs.

She hopes to work with the education department to address the district’s declining academic performance. Her ability to speak fluently in both Ateso and Lugwere, the dominant local languages, has facilitated her mobilization efforts and enabled her to work effectively with people of diverse backgrounds. This has helped her consolidate support throughout the district, regardless of political affiliations.

With a professional background in education and social work and over 15 years of experience working at different managerial levels in community development, Achola has developed strong leadership skills and a wealth of knowledge in development work.

What People Say About Achola

Mr. Okiror Japeth from Agule County expressed optimism about Achola’s chances, stating, “Achola is going to get a lot of support because Josephine Ibaseret, who dominated Agule, has taken it upon herself to contest with men at the constituency level.”

Lucy Kataike from Gogonyo County noted, “We see Achola as a new broom. We have had Judith Amoit as MP and currently Kevin Kaala, and we understand their interests. I have never had time to interact with Achola, but I always listen to her speaking confidently at burials, advocating for coffee and cocoa growing in this region.”

Achola is set to compete with Hon. Judith Amoit, current MP Hon. Kevin Kaala, and Jane Abbo of NUP, who have all declared their intentions to contest.

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