OYAM, UGANDA – The incumbent Woman Member of Parliament for Oyam District, Hon. Santa Alum, has issued a stark warning to voters, urging them against sending politically "weak" representatives to Parliament, whom she claimed would pass harmful legislation, including a bill that could permit polyandry.
Alum made the remarks on Thursday while campaigning in Loro Sub-county, seeking re-election. She framed her plea around her self-professed record of resilience and vocal advocacy in the House.
“I have been good in Parliament by standing with the people,” Alum told supporters. She specifically highlighted her role in the passage of the contentious Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023. However, she alleged that this action has made her a target.
“I was vocal in ensuring the anti-homosexuality bill passed, but later those who are supporting homosexuality are targeting us with big money,” Alum claimed. She expressed unwavering confidence, adding, “But they will not win in Oyam because God is fighting for me.”
The MP then shifted to what she described as pending legislative threats. She asserted that the “interest of these people is to ensure bad bills pass,” citing two specific examples.
“There is a bill with [the] intention for women to marry more than one man. The land bill is also pending,” Alum stated, without providing specific titles or numbers for the legislation she referenced.
She argued that electing an inexperienced or susceptible representative would have dire consequences. “Sending somebody who is not known well may lead to the passing of these bills,” Alum warned.
Positioning herself as Oyam’s essential defender, Alum concluded, “Therefore, I am the only person who can make good bills for the people of Oyam and Uganda.”
The MP’s comments are likely to intensify the political debate in Oyam, framing the upcoming election as a direct choice between a proven, combative representative and unknowns who could, in her view, surrender to external financial pressures and allow morally objectionable laws to pass.
