SOROTI:
The fuming pressure from this group has captured the attention of suspicious members of Parliament from Teso including the Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Annet Anita Among who has reportedly misunderstood the group to be formed on political basis with an intention of tarnishing her name.
Former aspirant for Soroti district Woman MP Rachael Adiango, well wisher(left) and Simon Peter Ebitu greet each other after group discussion recently at Lions Club Soroti.
Following the escalated corruption levels at Soroti city, a lot of growing concerns have been raised by the city dwellers as the so called blue eyed officers ridicule billions of public funds without any authoritative action on them.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has in several occasions raised bitterness on the corrupt officials with no kind words on them as he preaches to the citizens to be patriotic enough to fight corruption at all levels with zero tolerance.
Soroti at heart is an active community group of patriotic citizens in Sooroti City who believe that the public carries the noble responsibility of participating in raising developmental ideas to those in authority with an ideal of delivering the people’s oriented decisions, ensuring public accountability and total sanity within the city.
Soroti at heart members after a meeting with Soroti East Division Mayor Paul Omer.
The group made up of all round political representatives both opposition and the ruling government, civil servants of various capacities and those in the private sector, members of the business community, with all the human interest groups inclusive, is now working towards braking the chain of impunity in the city’s administration and now shaping up the right direction on the tax payer’s fate.
The group evolved in January 2023 after Soroti City dominated headlines on corruption in the entire region, leaders disunited with political clicks, uncivilized actions that prompted poor service delivery, as the public was not appreciative at all.
Team leader Mr. Tom Ewoku says that the group members believe in non-defiance approaches to achieve their goals, rather stick to the pipelines of conducting dialogues, public forums and the supreme approach of the public prosecution.
“as diplomatic citizens of Soroti, we are totally embarrassed with the wild conduct of some leaders and civil servants who have made it a culture to abuse public funds, we are going to keep an eye on public land of Soroti City which is already being messed up with, the day to day work of the technocrats at the city offices, the quality of social services ranging from Education, health, the road works, security among other key areas of interest to the public”, he said.
Tom Ewoku the Chairperson Soroti at Heart.
Is Soroti at heart a political aided group?
The fuming pressure from this group has captured the attention of suspicious members of Parliament from Teso including the Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Annet Anita Among who has reportedly misunderstood the group to be formed on political basis with an intention of tarnishing her name.
Information coming from our confidential sources in Parliament reveals how the Speaker Among is totally uncomfortable with this group after the Soroti East Division legislator Herbert Edmund Ariko tipped her that the group is formed by social media critics whose motives are to malice her name and a section of legislators loyal to her.
Further information indicates that the Speaker Anita Among dropped the petition previously filed by the Market vendors of Soroti central Market presented to Parliament by the Soroti City Woman MP Joan Alobo Acom after the MP Ariko whispered to her, that it was not prudent to resent the motion of that petition much as it had already been lined up in the order paper because it was a trap allegedly set by Soroti at heart group to discredit the Speaker and a few of them Using Alobo Joan.
Before the Minister for Local government Raphael Magezi landed to Soroti for a Market Baraza, the Mp. Joan Alobo broke silence over these allegations and confirmed it to the media that the Mp Ariko miss guided the speaker on the fate of Soroti at herat group.
“I am totally disappointed with my colleague the Mp Herbert Edmund Ariko for miss guiding the Speaker, while we were in the session, he whispered at the Speaker Rt. Hon. Anita Among that Soroti at Heart was the god parent of the Market petitioners and so it should be thrown out immediately”, Alobo told Journalists.
Alobo’s recording went viral country wide and this prompted the speaker Among to clash on phone with Alobo, issuing her serious warnings and threats through Watsapp messages.
Joan Alobo Acom Woman MP Soroti City.
When asked by the press whether she is the brain behind this pressure group, Alobo Joan refuted such allegations noting that the idle politicians at the grass root and Parliament are uncomfortable with whistle blowers actions of the group especially now that they are getting exposed for their nonperformance which she termed as unscrupulous.
“Why should anyone be uncomfortable with Soroti at Heart if he or she is not a wrong person, I came to Know Soroti at Heart when they gave me pressure to intervene into the Market saga, they are very well educated and civilized people who should be empowered to do their role as community. I am not a brain behind them, but I am one who appreciates the work they do, I therefore ask any other leader or organizations to closely work with them in whatever developmental way”, she said.
What the group members say:
Musa Oroma the NRM Registrar Soroti city, also a member of Soroti at Heart says that Soroti at Heart is not a political affiliated group.
“Those who believe that Soroti at Heart is a political pressure group are totally wrong and mistaken, we are a group composed of members from all political parties active in Soroti right from NRM where I belong, FDC, UPC among others and we come together to jointly bring up the ideas that set the pace for a descent beloved city”, he said.
“We are both not comfortable with the current stake of the city, right from the garbage and the trade order. We feel we can brainstorm and develop perfect ideas that can be sold to our policy makers and the technocrats”, he said.
Moses Oroma the NRM Registrar Soroti City.
Willy Bisanga the NRM Chairman of Soroti city implores the politicians to stop bringing their confusion to their good intentioned group.
“I am the Chairman NRM in Soroti City and it is quite unfortunate for our own political leader to wedge war against their own electorates, political leaders should not be worried of our pressure group if they do what is right. I will not be ashamed to pin an NRM leader if he or she is doing wrong. The issue of garbage dominating city space is one of the top priorities in our agenda, we are now brainstorming the modest ways of ensuring a clean city, no one can do anything if not we ourselves”, he said.
Willy Bisanga the Chairman NRM Soroti city.
Denis Olweny a clinical officer TASO Soroti encouraged the group member to ignore criticism from politicians and work to ensure a descent city.
“Everybody knows me that I am not a politician and never interested in any political engagements, I am a tax payer and deserve better services, therefore no one in the name of a politician should scare me from demanding better services. Politicians must know that public accountability is not a fight against them”, he noted.
Denis Olweny, medic at TASO Soroti, member Soroti at heart.
James Ajena businessman in Soroti city challenges leaders to rally behind Soroti at Heart for better services. “We are a very organized group of elders who do not handle issues like the young people. Our duty is to check on the performance of leaders and inform the public on the extent of service delivery”, he said.
James Ajena, businessman in Soroti city, member Soroti at heart.
Simon Peter Ebitu AKA Etwerere, a secretary of the group notices the importance of enlightening the public of their rights and responsibility, and public accountability as their group will offer the forum to check the measurement of services.
Soroti at Heart after an engagement with Soroti West division leadership in March 2023
