Who is Akello Lucy? Flash Uganda Media looks at her biography, age, husband, family, tribe, achievements, and relationship with John Obina, Betty Bigombe, Jane Okilli, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), the early life and education of the current Woman MP of the Amuru District in Uganda.
Akello Lucy is a social worker and politician from Uganda. She is the current Women’s representative for Amuru District in the Ugandan Parliament.
She also previously served in the same role on the 10th Parliament. Akello is also a member of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) opposition political party.
Early life and Education
Akello Lucy was born on October 09th, 1980 in Lamogi sub-county, Amuru District, Northern Uganda. John Obina, a lecturer at Kyambogo University, is her father. She is a mother and a wife.
Akello started her primary education at Olwal Ocaja Primary School, then went on to attend Lacor Primary School. She later transformed to Mary Immaculate Primary School, Gulu and finally Kyambogo Primary School where she sat for her Primary Leaving Certificate examinations.
She then went to Iganga Secondary School for her O-Level education and Uganda Martyrs Secondary School Namugongo for her A-Level education.
She was accepted to Makerere University in Kampala, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science before graduating in 2004.
Later, in 2011, she graduated from Uganda Martyrs University in Nkozi, Wakiso District, with a Master of Arts in Development Studies.
Career and Professional Work Experience
She was employed in 2005 by the Justice & Peace Commission (JPC), a local Catholic church-affiliated NGO that works to advance peace and reconciliation in war-torn Northern Uganda.
She spent ten years there, first as a programme officer, then as a programme manager, and finally as executive director from 2006 to 2014. Human rights, land rights, women’s rights, and children’s rights were her main concerns.
Betty Bigombe, the Women’s Member of Parliament for Amuru District Women’s resigned in October 2014 to accept a position at the World Bank in Washington, DC. In December 2014, by-elections were held to fill her position.
Akello defeated seven rivals and won the election while running under the banner of the opposition FDC political party. She successfully ran for office in the 2016 parliamentary election once more on the FDC platform.
In the 2021 General elections, Akello stood again as the Women’s Member of President for Amuru District and garnered 21,183 votes winning the election against her only opposition in the race Angeyo Lucy Kijange of NRM who garnered 15,353 votes.
Additionally, Akello is the shadow minister for labour, gender, and social development.
Achievements and Awards
Akello Lucy is a member of the Human Rights Network Uganda as well as the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China.
Controversies
Jane Okilli’s plea to challenge Lucy Akello, the Amuru district woman MP, in the election was rejected by a judge in the High Court in Gulu.
In November 2014, Okilli ran for the NRM party’s nomination in the Amuru district Woman MP by-election but was defeated by Akello, the united opposition candidate.
With 7,420 votes to Okilli’s 6,701 votes, Akello won by a margin of 717 votes. Okilli filed a case with the High Court, charging Okello’s campaign with using derogatory and sectarian language during the campaign.
Chaos broke out in Parliament in December 2017 after Amuru District Woman MP Lucy Akello reported seeing troops assaulting the Catholic Chaplain.
In preparation for Archbishop Cyprian Lwanga’s visit the following day, Hon. Lucy Akello, the Chairperson of the Catholic Community in Parliament, went to inspect the chapel’s hygienic conditions, according to FDC’s Aswa county MP Reagan Okumu.
According to reports, she was shocked to find soldiers in the camp. The soldiers were allegedly utilising plastic urine-filled bottles found in the cathedral.
Before running off to the Speaker, she allegedly tried to call for reporters but was scared off by security personnel.
After MPs attempted to confirm the information, police sealed the area. According to reports, the soldiers were brought to the National Theatre. As a result of the mayhem, the debate was postponed until later that day.
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