JACOB OBOTH OBOTH”S EFFORTS LOOKS LIKE A DRIZZLE IN THE OCEAN.
By Jackson Oboth
In our series to “Rediscover Tororo”. today we explore abit of the Political terrains to understand the expectations of our people.
When we talk about development or lack of it in Tororo as a district, one of the key facets that cannot be ignored is leadership. .
The question that rings on mind is, Do we as the people of Totoro have a fair share of the national cake? Do we as a unit of people understand what to expect from our government? Do we understand what to expect from the people we elect to represent us at the table where the cake is being shared?Do we have capacity to make demands based on logical understanding of our rights as a unit of people with a common goals? The overriding question is; Do we as a people really know our rights as an electorate, why we participate in political formations and what’s in it for us as a people? Or are we just but a group of political blind and aloof people groping in the dark?
The people of Tororo have been known for their frugality when it comes to choosing leaders to represent them. At national level we were known for upholding one term legacy for most of the people we send to Parliament, a phenomenal that was attributed to political enlightenment by the people. Is that trend changing? We shall look at that later.
For now, let’s look at the situation on the ground. We recently combed the whole of Padhola, doing research for our soon to be launched Rock City Radio.  Deep in the village of Pubwoki, a village bordering Iyolwa and Mulanda subcounties, 54 year old John Odumo stands by the road side, holding his waist. He looked all dressed up but like a pinquin, he apparently had nowhere to go. We pull over to have a chat with him. Time check,2:00pm. At 54, Odumo looked like a 70 year old man, all grey with a slight curve in his frame.
He stood there staring at the space as if he was waiting for someone. A closer look at Odumo reveals pain in the heart. That pain was being reflected on his sun burnt face. We inquired about him. Odumo opens up. Back home , his pregnant wife is due for delivery of his 6th child. He has no money in his pocket, leave alone a bicycle to wheel her to the hospital. Mulanda Health Center 3 is six kilometers away. Tired of listening to the whines and screams of his wife, Odumo had in a leap of faith, dressed up and taken a walk to the main road hoping to get help from God. The grim situation of people like Odumo speaks volumes about the needs of our people; they need money in the pockets, good roads, reliable means of transport, access to health care, market for their products and peace. Not much to ask if you asked me. if land was cooperating, they would be happy to farm the land, market the produce and get money but the land no longer yields anything.
After helping Odumo deliver his wife to the health center, we engage him in a conversation. What does he understand about leadership and representation? What does he expect from his Members of Parliament and other district leadership?
” My friend, our lack of money notwithstanding, I think for us in central here we are lucky to have Hon. Oboth Oboth” he says, his face lightening up.
“That man is trying his best to turn around the problem of the people. Through his efforts water and electricity is coming to the doorsteps of the people. I will not hesitate to vote for him again.
“These are the things we only dreamt about. Today it’s becoming a reality. Look, he donated an ambulance to the Health Center to help people in my situation. unfortunately poverty can not allow us meet the cost sharing arrangements since those who need the services of the ambulance must buy the fuel”he says.
According to Odumo,many MPs of Tororo district ride on the good will of the people and once they get to Parliament they only concetrate on enriching themselves. But Oboth Oboth have tried to work with the common man to change their situation. Could this be the explanation behind the fact that he is the only MP who have broken the one term record that the Tororo electorate is known for when it comes to Parliamentary elections?
In our conversation with Odumo and many other people in different villages, we realized that people really don’t know much what to expect from the political hierarchy in the district right from Local council to district leadership including their national representations. All that came out was that the expect their leaders to show their faces regularly, make contribution in funerals, dole out handouts to needy electorates and generally be good and outgoing. That’s all. Many do not expect anything more than that. Could this be the cause of poverty in Tororo? The wanton lack of proper political enlightenment and accountability? Are the leaders taking advantage of this? These are some of the conversations we need to start asking in our quest to Transform Tororo. Thank God we will soon have Rock City Radio, a platform for transformation dialogues. Let the conversation continue.
