Dr Dan Okello, a former lecturer at Makerere University has declared his intention to compete with President Museveni and other politicians to run for the presidency seat come 2021. Okello is the lecturer who sued the government for alleged failure to increase funding to the agricultural sector.
“We need more money for agriculture so that we can buy tractors and ox-ploughs for the farmers. We can build dams in every village for irrigation, that is why I am in,” Okello explained why he is running for presidency in the next general elections.
Dr Okello holds a PhD in Political Science and Public Administration from Makerere University in addition to serving in civil service for 35 years and lectured at Makerere University for 11 years. While at Makerere, he was also a visiting lecturer in Johannesburg, South Africa, and New Delhi in India.
Before he can run against Museveni, Okello, who has been Lira District chairman of Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party for 20 years, will have to first be elected by his party as the flag-bearer.
“I am most likely going to be UPC candidate unopposed because throughout Uganda, from central, northern, eastern and western, people are looking at Dr Dan Okello to become the next UPC president. Therefore, I will become an automatic UPC presidential aspirant in 2021,” Okello.
Okello adds that among other things, he has initiated the party’s birthday celebrations, “I have consolidated a lot of support for UPC party in Uganda; I have initiated a lot of things for UPC, including the UPC birthday,” he said.
The confident Okello further said that he has already secured support of Ugandan farmers who are willing to vote for UPC in the highly anticipated general elections, 2021 as they kick NRM out power. His intentions to sue the government over failure to inject more funds in the agricultural sector will apparently continue. In his argument, he wants the state to allocate 10% of the national budget to the agricultural sector.