In a dramatic turn of events that has rocked the political foundations of Katakwi District, State Minister for Sports Peter Ogwang has come under intense fire after publicly admitting to bribing delegates during the recently concluded NRM district elections.
Ogwang, once a formidable political force in the region, now finds himself isolated and discredited as voters and political allies alike question his integrity and leadership.
The NRM internal elections in Katakwi were marred by chaos, voter manipulation allegations, and open acts of bribery. Reports emerged that Ogwang ferried selected delegates to Bukedea District, allegedly to offer them monetary incentives to support his preferred candidates, his “blue-eyed men.” While the allegations of ferrying voters remained unverified for days, the truth unraveled when Ogwang, in a poorly calculated move, admitted during a live radio interview on Etop Radio (Vision Group) that he gave money to delegates “as water and transport refund.”
The minister’s statement, intended to justify his actions, instead sparked a political firestorm. Voters across Ngariam County and Katakwi District interpreted the admission as a clear confession of voter bribery, a practice both unethical and illegal.
“The party allows delegates to be given water and transport,” Ogwang claimed. “I gave money to my delegates from Ngariam County because the party did not facilitate them.” However, the public was not convinced. A transport refund, they argued, cannot explain the widely reported distribution of she 200,000 to each delegate, a figure far exceeding typical allowances.
The fallout was Immediate and severe. Despite the alleged bribes, Ogwang’s candidates were trounced in the polls. Out of eleven elective positions, only one was secured by a candidate aligned with Ogwang, signaling a dramatic collapse of his political machinery.
His failure to secure dominance at the district level is not just a personal embarrassment, it is a political indictment, a rejection of his influence and methods by the very electorate he once commanded.
Adding salt to the wound, Ogwang had initially planned to vie for the powerful position of NRM Chairman for Katakwi Town Council. Sensing the winds of defeat, he quietly withdrew his candidacy. Sources close to the election committee suggest that internal polling had shown a crushing loss in the offing, a humiliation Ogwang was desperate to avoid. His retreat, however, did little to shield him from the ridicule and criticism that followed.
The final nail In the coffin came with the landslide victory of John Robert Okiror, who defeated Ogwang’s agent for District Chairman. The first round of voting, marred by violence and suspected irregularities, was annulled and repeated under heavy security. In the second attempt, Okiror emerged victorious, his margin underscoring the resounding rejection of Ogwang’s camp.
Ogwang has since conceded defeat and offered public congratulations to Okiror. “I want to congratulate my brother, Mr. Okiror, and his newly elected committee. I will work together with you for the good of the party and the country,” he said on radio. But for many in Katakwi, the words ring hollow. The damage has been done, and the trust once held in the minister has been eroded.
As political observers dissect Ogwang’s fall, one message rings clear: the era of unchecked political impunity in Katakwi may be coming to an end. The voters, once dismissed as passive, have shown they can and will defy financial coercion.
For Ogwang, the challenge now lies in rebuilding a tarnished image and regaining political relevance, a tall order in a district where credibility is fast becoming the new currency of power.