Pallisa, Uganda: Pallisa District Woman Member of Parliament, Hon. Kaala Kevin Ojinga, on Sunday wrapped up a district-wide tour spanning all 91 parishes to formally ask for forgiveness over a chaotic Women’s Day celebration that left some guests hungry, frightened, and humiliated.
The event, held on May 30, 2025, at Busitema University grounds, had drawn thousands from across the district, expecting to celebrate with the Rt. Hon. Speaker Annet Anita Among.
Instead, what began as a momentous occasion spiralled into disarray after rowdy youths stormed serving points, forcibly chased women away from queues, and disrupted the program.
Charles Obela, a resident of Opadoi Trading Centre in Akisim Sub County, recounted how villagers returned home lamenting their ordeal. “I blame the deployed security who failed to bring the mess to order,” Obela said, adding that many people unfairly blamed Kaala for the debacle.
In her public apologies delivered parish by parish in Pallisa, Hon. Kaala, visibly emotional, went down on her knees pleading for understanding and insisting that political opponents orchestrated the chaos to sabotage her standing in Pallisa.
“I beg you as believers of the various religious sects to forgive me. Kindly don’t let what happened at Busitema shadow what I have been doing for you,” she told a gathering on Sunday, June 29, 2025.
The MP would further announce her contributions, including supporting top-performing PLE candidates with scholastic materials, purchasing 3,000 community chairs and a transport truck that she said saves families UGX 900,000 daily on burial-related hires.
In Kamuge Sub County, Sarah Nantabo called for unity and forgiveness, praising Kaala’s track record compared to her predecessors.
“People should honestly forgive Kaala because what she has done, no woman MP in Pallisa has ever done. We had MPs here like Aleluya Ikoote, Jennifer Namuyangu, Mariam Amoit, Agnes Ameede and the late Faith Alupo, who left without planting even a seedling of memory anywhere,” Nantabo said.
John Arikosi, another resident, pointed out that Pallisa has long struggled with one-term MPs, undermining the district’s ability to attract ministerial appointments and sustained development.
“Our greatest political problem in Pallisa is the weakness of giving leaders only one term in Parliament. It has kept the district without a minister or concrete service delivery,” he remarked.
Arikosi also blamed members of Team Kaala for mishandling crowds during her engagements, suggesting that some aides created further resentment even after the apology was accepted.
The race for the Pallisa Woman MP seat remains competitive. Kaala faces a challenge from Achola Catherine and Mariam Amoit, who previously represented the area in the Ninth Parliament before shifting to Kibale County. Amoit lost her subsequent bid there to Hon. Richard Oseku Oriebo.
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