Bakoko is Back

Zoe Bakoko Bakoru is back in Ugandan politics. The former Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development (GLSD), Ms. Zoe Bakoko Bakoru, has returned to politics after a 20-years self-imposed exile in the United States (US).

She was nominated last week in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) primaries to contest the Ayivu East constituency.

Ms. Faith Cecilia, Bakoko’s daughter—who lived with her in the US said her mother’s 16-year absence felt like the loss of a loved one “Mummy coming home is absolutely significant for us. She has always been the backbone of our family. There are so many people who call her, ‘Mummy’, because of her care and love,” she said ruefully, adding,. “I was fortunate to have her close, but for my siblings who couldn’t travel to the US, they were overcome by her amazing return.”

In 2007, Bakoru fled Uganda and sought asylum in the US. She claimed her life was in danger after alleging massive corruption at the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). NSSF is under the auspices of MLGSD, which is under the authority of the Minister.

She said that at least US $5 million was being siphoned from the pension fund monthly; money meant for the New York Stock Exchange.

Issues were evidently turned against her, the NSSF Board Chairman Mr. Geoffrey Onegi Obel and the Managing Director, Mr. Daudi Jamwa, when prosecution alleged that they had siphoned money in botched bonds and Nsimbe Housing Estate deals.

The three of them were alleged to have caused a financial loss to NSSF by their unofficial actions of sale of bonds and dealing.

During her reception at Onduparaka Soccar Stadium recently, Bakoko declared her candidacy for Ayivu East, ending speculation that she was undecided. It also comes after a petition by a group of people under the umbrella of Save Ayivu Initiative, demanding for a district status for Ayivu. Another group petitioned her to stand to advocate for the creation of three more divisions in Arua City before the 2026 General Elections.

So she explained, “My decision to contest is from the request by the people of Ayivu East to save them from the deteriorating social services,” adding that, “The people of Ayivu, and West Nile, deserve services, not violence and division which have marred the past political processes.

“I took a long time to reflect because I know there are already people who have shown their interest to lead. I have been in Parliament before. I understand what it means to be a Member of Parliament.

“At this time, I would have rested and be there to guide and advise, but when I came back, many people came to me and asked me to go back to Parliament and represent the people of Ayivu. I knew politics had changed, but the Government is committed to serve the people and has never changed in terms of development,” she confirmed in a statement.

Bakoko says, a lot has deteriorated from her time of service. “What hurt me most as nurse, as a midwife was that, as someone who developed the health care system in this entire greater Arua, when we returned from exile, there were only 13 functional health units. I worked hard to increase it to 66 units in five years with other medical staff, but to imagine that 15 or 20 years later, a health center, like Riki, is in a worse situation than I left. By now it should have been a health center IV level with a doctor and a full referral project or programme.

“I looked at the roads as you drive from Oluko to Riki, at the schools that the government has given, at the water system where some people will have to get piped water from Terego to Arua city, then my mind wandered where our leaders are. The roles of the MP are clear; lobbying and allocating in all areas, I am not saying that they should have carried the services but they had the roles of lobbying,” she added during the declaration.

The Speaker of Ayivu Division Council, Mr. Joel Ayiko, said the division has been left behind due to poor leadership. “Ayivu Division is facing a lot of challenges. If it had happened that Ayivu Division had leaders who were picking information from the Council and moving with it, and tabling  them on the floor of Parliament, taking it to the ministries and knocking on doors if the donors, we would be very far by now,”

He added: “Currently, some elected leaders even de-campaign tax collection by the Council. Some are dis-organizing the administrative units created, like that of the city. If we had leaders who could unite and give transition funds by now, we would have been better. I have pulled my keg out to say that, I accept her candidature, knowing that she has a previous record of being a good leader,r and that is why I support her,” he said.

The Female Councillor for Bunyo and Nyio Division, Ms. Senior Florence, too, commented that Bakoko’s declaration is an inspiration to other women. “I look at her as an icon of West Nile, I see her as a peacemaker who can unite people. I also see her as somebody who is developmental. I started hearing about Bakoko being a Minister when I was still a young girl in Primary school, and when she left, since that time, we have never had a Minister from West Nile.

“We are going to mobilise votes for her because I see her as somebody who can bring developments to West Nile and lobby for us. We have had disunity among ourselves, especially the people of Ayivu, something I do believe she can help to fight by uniting us,” Florence said.

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