Kampala, (UG):- The Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development, Hon. Betty Amongi, has finally relocated her polling station to Lira City, reaffirming her bold political move to stand for the Woman MP position in the 2026 elections.
The position is currently occupied by Health Minister, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, while Amongi is currently the elected Member of Parliament for Oyam South in Oyam District.
Ms Amongi Saturday, February 01, 2025, put business to a standstill as she arrived in the area to register and relocate her polling station from Akaidebe, Minakulu Sub-county, Oyam South in Oyam District to Senior Quarters ‘A’ Polling Station in Lira City.
Moments after registering, Amongi called upon her supporters to take charge of their electoral rights encouraging those who have turned 18 to register, those who have moved to update their locations, and all voters to confirm their details.
Explaining her decision to contest in Lira City, Amongi voiced her concerns over the incumbent MP’s divisive leadership, accusing her of using religious affiliations to mobilize political support.
“She is taking us back to the dark days of sectarian politics, exploiting a few church leaders for personal gain while threatening and displacing others who do not align with her interests,” Amongi said, referring to her political rival Dr Aceng.
“After decades of political instability, we must not allow a leader who seeks to divide us. Our true enemies are poverty, illiteracy, and the need for national cohesion, not narrow political interests,” she added.
Amongi reaffirmed her commitment to fostering unity, dialogue, and cooperation between political factions, emphasizing the importance of working with the NRM and President Museveni on a principled basis.
“Uganda cannot afford to be torn apart by political extremism and chaos. We must reject the dangerous narrative that promotes violence as a political tool. Instead, we should build a leadership that prioritizes peaceful transition through dialogue, engagement, and consensus-building. Unfortunately, the incumbent MP has been pushing a radical agenda that threatens our progress toward national unity.”
She further outlined her campaign priorities, promising to champion infrastructure development, poverty eradication initiatives, skilling programs, and access to affordable capital for small businesses, including bodaboda operators and women entrepreneurs.
Other key areas include addressing waste management, youth empowerment, and providing pro bono legal services for the people of Lira City.
“Right now, our immediate task is to free ourselves from the reign of terror gripping our business community, civil servants, security officers, and medical personnel who are constantly threatened with dismissal, transfer, or arrest for merely standing their ground,” Hon Amongi said.
“Our campaign will be based on engagement with all stakeholders to build a united and prosperous Lira City,” she added.
Who is Betty Amongi?
Born on November 15, 1975, Ms Amongi has worked hard to defend the rights of women, including spearheading the campaign advocating for the scrapping of refund of bride price in Uganda. Over the years, she has also been involved in global campaigns on peace and security.
Through her work in Somalia, the clan leaders who were opposed to a constitutional provision of including women representation in Parliament had accepted to progressively adopt a quota system for women.
Ms Amongi is an expert trainer of trainees for Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and Inter-Parliamentary Union and serves as a gender expert for the Uganda Gender partnership Donor group to help shape donor priorities in the areas of women’s empowerment.
She is a trained professional in International Relations and Diplomatic Studies, Political Science and Gender and Development Studies.
She served as Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development. She previously served as the Cabinet Minister of Kampala Capital City before being posted to her current portfolio of Gender, Labour and Social Development.
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