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BY RICHARD DRASIMAKU
ARUA: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2025
On the fateful day, the youth mobilisers were returning home after canvassing for support for former Gender, Labour and Social Development Minister Zoe Bakoko Bakoru when they were ambushed by drunken supporters of a rival candidate who armed them with machetes.
That was July 12, 2025 and following the fracas, six were hospitalized, one of whom identified as Innocent Asite succumbed to the injuries on November 11, 2025 after long and unsuccessful treatment by medics.
Asite’s death has thrust other survivors into drumming support for the NRM flag bearer Eng. William Tiyo Odaa whose peaceful campaigns show him win the primary election outright.
On Monday, Fred Edemacu thanked the people of Wandi ward in Ayivu East for praying for him saying that their intercession saved him after losing a lot of blood to the cuts sustained from the machete wielding gangs.
“I appeal to you to avenge my lost blood by voting for Eng Tiyo,” he said.
Edemacu said at the time of their attack, they were supporting Hon Bakoko who comes from Oluko and was targeted with vulgar language by the aggressor candidate who mobilized the gang.
He said it is only prudent that the women in Ayivu East should atone for that abuse levelled at Hon Bakoko who is now the NRM chairperson for Arua City, by voting overwhelmingly for Eng Tiyo.
As the rallies progressed, the residents raised several pressing issues that they said have not been addressed due to poor leadership.
They pledged solid support for Eng Tiyo whom they asked to push for settlement of a deadly border dispute between Ayivu East constituency and Vurra County that claimed two lives from the area a week ago.
They also asked for a bridge to be constructed on Asa River, a nondiscriminatory services at Orivu health Center IV and electricity lines to be installed in Ayivu East like they were installed in Ayivu West in the past five years.
Eng. Tiyo said that Ayivu West got rural electrification because they were represented by a disciplined MP who does not bark at government officials charged with service delivery.
He asked the people to look at his 24-year record of disciplined service for assurance that Ayivu East will radically achieve development in the next five years.
Tiyo said his manifesto is already aligned with that of President Yoweri Museveni who is the NRM flag bearer and is projected to win an extension of his presidency.
Some of the key features include sensitization and mobilization of the youths to embrace skills training under the presidential initiative for skilling youths, supporting groups organized in savings and loan associations and promoting the parish development model for rural poverty eradication.
