Ms. Evelyn Anite Kajik, Member of Parliament representing Koboko Municipality

Up until I had the opportunity to have a face to face interaction with Ms. Evelyn Anite Kajik, in 2017, it had not hit me that hard. Ms. Anite’s insistence that her views are those of her constituents of Koboko got me thinking. I began to think of how so little I know about those who represent in parliament the views of the people of my ancestral home, Pallisa County in Pallisa District.

I did a quick online search, but it came up with nothing concrete. I couldn’t find the social media presence of Ms. Ameede Agnes of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and Woman Member of Parliament (MP) Pallisa District; nor of Mr. Opolot Richard Jacob, an Independent and MP Pallisa County.

Ms. Ameede has since moved on. Pallisa District was split, Butebo District was created and she is now the Woman MP for the ‘new’ district.

Ms. Agnes Ameede and Ms. Faith Alupo, Woman Members of Parliament who both represented Pallisa District

When Ms. Ameede moved on, there was a heated and a controversial by election to replace her; from whence Ms. Faith Alupo of NRM was declared victor and sworn in very quickly. I did a Google search of her and just like her predecessor, it came up with nothing concrete, about the substance of her political views.

Mr. Opolot Jacob Richards, Member of Parliament representing Pallisa County

It does not serve my country well if I know nothing of how our MPs are representing the views of the people of my ancestral home. Then I thought what about the other three MPs who represent other parts of Pallisa District. There also I drew a blank.

• What are the views of Ms. Ameede, Ms. Alupot and Mr. Opolot on the age limit debate and on the M7OnLand thingy?

• What about Mr. Mudokoi Fred Oduch, an Independent and MP Butebo County; Mr. Mukula Francis, an Independent and MP Agule County; and Mr. Oseku Oreibo Richard of the NRM and MP Kibale County, what are their views on those two debates?

• And for all them, what are their views generally? What was their view on that whole 6bnHandShake, and, and?

Imagine for a moment, if each and every constituent with significant social media presence, such as I have, took time to always highlight the views and opinions of their respective representatives in parliament.

As in help the rest of the country to know how truthful the utterances that our respective MPs make in parliament are – fact check them. You know, like how we slavishly follow the fact checking of say politicians in the United States by their constituents, but we know nothing about the views of the politicians who represent our ancestral homes here in Uganda.

So, I beg of you, please give me the data on the MPs of Pallisa, including the new district as well, Butebo. Am interested in their utterances in Parliament, if at all, and in public debate at national level. I promise to do my bit to fact check them. Especially now that campaign season is neigh.

Do not let them get away with it.

#GoodTrouble starts now.

This is an up-dated version a section a Facebook Note that I authored and posted on 19th September 2017; nearly three years later, sadly, it remains relevant. Click here to read the original note.