By Caroline Kirabo
It should be remembered that this seat fell vacant after the death of Barbara Cecilia Atim Ogwal of Forum for Democratic Change (FCD) party, on January 18 this year.
Cecilia Ogwal, who died from a hospital in India due to a cancer-related illness was buried at her home in Dog-Gugu village, Alito Sub-County in Kole District last Saturday.
While relatives and I friends are still mourning for her death, there are seven people in the succession queue and these include Ms Janet Rose Adong Elau of National Resistance Movement (NRM) and Ms Sarah Aguti Nyangkori of Uganda People’s Congress(UPC).
This duo contested against Ogwal in 2021 general elections but lost to her.
In 2021, Ogwal retained her seat after she garnered 32,223 votes against NRM’s Elau who was the second with 16,886votes and UPC’s Aguti who got 10,460 votes.
Others who have expressed their interest to succeed Ogwal are Dr.Anna Grace Lalam, Ms Beatrice Molly Abang the Dokolo District NRM chairperson, Ms Harriet Ageno Menidiro, Ms Lillian Auma Okullo and Ms Rebecca Arap who is the Dokolo LC5 female Councilor representing workers.
However, FDC is yet to decide on who th front and a series of meetings are taking place in Lira city and Dokolo to pick the successor.
It was said that the relatives and friends of Ogwal were proposing that Ogwal’s daughter should succeed her.
At Ogwal’s burial, FDC leader Patrick Oboi Amuriat told other party leaders that it would make sense if an FDC candidate goes unopposed in the Dokolo by-election.
The Electoral Commission is yet to declare her seat vacant and come up with a roadmap for the by-election.
Since Dokolo District was carved out of Lira District in 2006, Ogwal has been the area woman MP.