Maracha County Member of Parliament, Oguzu Lee, has written a scathing letter to the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Secretary General, accusing the party of treating West Nile as a “vote plantation” – cultivated during elections and abandoned thereafter.
In the open letter, Lee highlights the region’s decades-long loyalty to the NRM, which has been met with unfulfilled promises and neglect.
“The people of West Nile have consistently turned out in large numbers to vote for the NRM, driven by hope for tangible progress. However, post-election periods reveal a troubling pattern: health centers remain understaffed and unequipped, schools lack textbooks and qualified teachers, and communities still trek kilometers for murky water from contaminated sources,” Lee writes
Lee notes that the region’s consistent support for the party has not translated into tangible development. Despite the region’s loyalty, Lee notes that the NRM has failed to deliver on its promises, leaving the region in a state of neglect and underdevelopment.
Lee expresses frustration with the NRM’s token projects, which he describes as “crumbs tossed to pacify the hungry.” He notes that these projects are often implemented without proper planning, consultation, or follow-up, resulting in ineffective and unsustainable solutions.
The MP also highlights the region’s dire need for basic services such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure. “In West Nile, mothers still bury children felled by treatable diseases like malaria because the nearest facility or hospital is a myth on a signboard pointing to a unit without drugs,” Lee writes.
Lee notes that in Districts of Maracha, Arua, and Terego, pupils still study under trees while billions are squandered on luxury vehicles for Kampala’s bureaucrats. As a result, only 10% make it to P.7 after enrollment. Part of the 22,000 classrooms not built are in West Nile. The region’s parishes are among more than 1600 without primary schools.
Lee also highlights the poor state of roads in the region, including the Nebbi-Arua highway, which remains a death trap of potholes. The Nebbi-Goli road, critical for trade, remains unpaved and impassable during rains, stifling economic growth.
The region’s aspirations for industrial parks in Pakwach, Koboko, and other areas remain on paper, while the government’s blueprints and speeches tout “universal access” to healthcare, education, and infrastructure without a resource envelope.
Lee also notes that in Madi-Okollo, landowners are still waiting for compensation, while Kony war claimants are still awaiting attention. In the Madi sub-region, rampant deforestation in Zika and unregulated mining in Zombo are degrading the land, threatening livelihoods and biodiversity, while officials who pocket bribes look away.
“This is not development. This is organized structural neglect,” Lee writes
He warns that the region will no longer accept speeches and lies, and that the youth and history are watching. He emphasizes that the NRM must move beyond rhetoric and demonstrate that loyalty to the party translates into dignity for all.
“The clock is ticking, and the NRM has a choice: honor the blood, sweat, and votes of West Nile, or forever be remembered as the party that robbed a generation of its future. We will no longer accept speeches. We will no longer applaud lies. The youth are watching. History is watching. Act now—or be condemned by the very loyalty you exploited,” Lee writes
He also calls for a public audit of all NRM projects in West Nile since 2010, with outcomes published and translated into local languages.
As the country gears up for 2026 general elections, the NRM’s response to Lee’s letter will be closely watched.