Geoffrey Oita Okoth Guns For West Budama South

TORORO, Uganda|SHIFTMEDIA NEWS| GEOFFREY OITA OKOTH is best described as a Humanitarian, right from his youthful days at Makerere University, he was curious about being a strong politician when he took part in the National Youth council elections, despite contesting under the NRM Party ticket then, issues of sectarianism made him abandon NRM for UPC when he first contested for the West Budama South constituency in Tororo in 2006.

The good news is that Oita is back into the race for the West Budama South seat come 2021.

Patrick Jaramogi asked Oita about his new twist into politics and sudden return for the West Budama South Seat.  Excerpts:

Who is Mr. Geoffrey Oita?

I am a born of Mwelo Village Mwelo Sub County in West Budama South. I went to Mulanda Primary School, Mahanga Primary School in Nagongera, Iganga SSS, (The original Iganga SS) for my O level, City High School for my A level before joining Makerere University for my first degree.

I did Political Science at Makerere then enrolled for a MA in Social Sector Planning & Management also from Makerere University. I then did a Post Graduate in Humanitarian Action and Conflict from the Oxford Brooklyn University in the UK, so basically I am a Humanitarian.

Over the years, my work experience has been mainly with High NGOs, such as OXFAM GB, ActionAid International, and of late with the United Nations where I worked for seven years rising up from several different departments and serving in various positions.

You were in politics before why are you bouncing back now and why did you take this long?

That is a very good question. It is true I took long to return to the limelight (politics) because I was still engaged with serving the globe. But for starters, I got engaged in politics way back during my youthful days at University way back when we were young. After university, my first attempt at the helm of politics was when I contested for the West Budama South parliamentary seat in 1996 along with the likes of late Hon Akesoferi Ogola, and Hon Othieno Akiika.

I recall despite being a youth, I emerged number three, after Ogola, and Akiika. In the next elections held in 2001, the seat was taken by Hon. Othieno Akiika. Come 2006, I took up the challenge once again, now under the UPC party ticket ( I will explain at a later stage why this happened)

I still believe that I duly won the 2006 parliamentary seat but due to the massive rigging, Dr. Emmanuel Otaala was announced the winner. (Otaala was later appointed as State Minister for Health, he lost to Oboth Oboth in 2011 and later went to Canada for further studies).

I decided to bounce back into politics this time around after seeing that nothing much has changed in my constituency. It is time to have a change of guards. The people in West Budama South need new blood to fuel development in the area.

What should the voters in West Budama South expect from Mr. Oita?

The main issue, and what remains in my heart is the desire to see an effective representation of my people. A representation that ensures regional coordination, that is fundamental to ensure that services reach the people. I want the voters to see value in their votes so that they can respect the people they elect.

What development plans do you have for the youth, the vulnerable and orphans in the constituency?

Regarding the youth, the major issue currently affecting the constituency is a total collapse of the education system. We may need to look at statistics to see how many of our children have over the years scored first grade, or joined public universities on government scholarships.

I will ensure that there is teamwork and coordination between the elected leaders and voters. We shall ensure teamwork towards enhancing education standards in the constituency. Currently, the many youths who are out of school is a fundamental challenge. We need triple levels of engagement to address these – policy engagements, youth-friendly policies.

I will lobby to ensure the effective allocation of resources for youth policies once in parliament. I will engage in avenues and mechanisms that can support youth employment and empowerment. These approaches have to be both political and cultural because culture has a role to play In supporting the youth.

We need activities for supporting the youth, but these hardly exist. Despite youth-friendly policies, there Is nothing visible in the community.

For women, there are fundamental issues for me as a person. Working with local authorities to ensure increased and effective engagement of women on local governance issues will be high on the agenda. I will ensure that women are at the front line of issues of local governance.

Women shoulder the burden of health care in this area yet we have fundamental gaps in health care at the local level. Women are the nurses they take care of us at homes, but they are not recognized. These require policies from the national to the local levels to ensure the allocation of resources to the grassroots.

Distances to the health care remain a problem,  lack of drugs and medication remains a challenge, as well as the issue of having a very thin presence of health personnel.

Using my experience in crisis management and humanitarian affairs, I will engage from the national level to have an increase in medical health care workers. The constituency has only one health Center IV with 13 sub-counties. This doesn’t add up.

Imagine someone has been in parliament for 10 years but there is only one ambulance serving 13 sub-counties, and you are looking at all these sub-counties with just one doctor.

But the bottom line that my voters need to know is that I am coming in as a leader and not a job seeker.

You are coming in through the NRM party ticket, what made you take this decision? 

My return to the helm of politics has been mainly due to the pressure and demands from the electorate. The majority who have approached me say, Hon. Oboth Oboth hasn’t done much for them. They insist I should return and represent them in Parliament. Right now that I am back after several years globetrotting, I perhaps can admit that it is prudent that I represent my people.

I am coming under the NRM ticket because that is where I belonged earlier during my youthful days of politics. But I was swayed due to intrigue, sectarianism, and nepotism. While a youth leader, I recall Vice president then Dr. Specioza Wandira Kazibwe was tasked to handle the youth affairs, but just a few youths (who matter) were handpicked and considered. The rest of us were abandoned and that prompted me to join UPC.

Now that normalcy seems to have returned with organized systems, it’s just right that I contest under the NRM. And off course, since NRM is the ruling party, delivering services to the people in terms of development is not a challenge.

What are your strengths this time around? What makes you think that you have the bull by the horns this time?

Mentioning my strengths at this time will be exposing myself to my opponents.