Otuke NRM Rift Deepens as Acon Faults Abeja Over Arrests

What the report says

The internal dispute within the National Resistance Movement in Otuke District has widened after district party chairperson and Otuke East MP Julius Acon Bua criticised the arrests of several sub-county NRM chairpersons over money linked to party village barazas. According to Dokolo Post, Acon said the arrests were carried out without the knowledge of the district NRM leadership and argued that Otuke Woman MP and Parliament Commissioner Susan Jolly Abeja should have raised the issue through party structures first.

The comments were made on Friday, August 7, 2026, at Townside Guest House in Otuke Town Council during a meeting that brought together sub-county chairpersons, district councillors and LCIII leaders from the district’s 14 sub-counties and town councils. Acon apologised to the affected officials and said the district executive committee would meet to address the disagreement. District leaders present at the meeting said the party needed to restore unity after the arrests.

The row follows Abeja’s earlier allegations that some district NRM officials misused funds meant for village mobilisation ahead of the July 28 LCI elections. She said the money, reportedly allocated by the party to support mobilisation, was diverted and called for arrests and recovery of the funds. The dispute has created tension inside the district party structure and highlights wider concerns over accountability and coordination in managing political mobilisation funds.