By Stanley Ebele
Elected leaders in top positions in Kotido district on Sunday shunned the elders meeting called to endorse their candidature ahead of the forthcoming elections.
The meeting was held at Lomuth Shrine in Kotido Town -a traditional ground for blessing candidates vying for various elective positions in Kotido District.
The meeting was also meant to discuss the conduct of the elections and preach a message of peaceful campaigns as the momentum of the elections gathers pace.
However, all Members of Parliament including the District Chairman Paul Lote Komol, and Mayor Kotido Peter Abrahams Irar were no show
This left the elders asking why top incumbent leaders and other aspiring candidates for various elective positions, shunned the meeting with no one to answer this question.
In Karamoja, elders play a key role in politics notably in choosing leaders as they are influential in decision making.
When contacted, the Kotido Municipality Mayor, Peter Abrahams Irar, who is seeking re-election in the forthcoming general polls, said he didn’t receive a formal invite from the elders.
He also raised concerns that the elders’ council has turned to be more political, the reason he did not show up.
Our efforts to get a comment from Peter Abrahams Lokii MP for Jie Constituency, Kotido Municipality MP, Ismael Muhammad Lomwar and the Kotido District Woman MP were futile by press time, as they did not answer or return our calls.
According to the elders, Secretary John Bosco Akore, the turn-up of the leaders was poor despite proper mobilization by their members.
However, he acknowledged that the Council did not write invitation letters to the elected leaders but passed the message through its structures and public announcements from shines and social gatherings.
