Dombo’s ‘Pray Harder’ Remark Sparks Outcry Over Teso Cattle Restocking Promise.

The hope generated during the recently concluded presidential and parliamentary campaigns over cattle restocking in the Teso sub-region has been thrown into uncertainty following comments by the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Director of Communications, Emmanuel Dombo.

Dombo suggested that the realisation of the programme partly depends on whether top leaders from the region retain their powerful positions in government.

Speaking in an interview during discussions marking 40 years of NRM rule, Dombo said the Iteso should “pray harder” for the Speaker of Parliament and the Vice President—both of whom hail from Teso—to retain their offices if the long-promised cattle restocking programme is to be successfully implemented.

“The first thing is that we have a Speaker of Parliament coming from Teso, although her term has expired. You just pray harder that you retain the position of the Speaker.

We also have a Vice President coming from Teso. If the two retain their positions, these are strategic offices which can be supported by ministers and Members of Parliament in order to pursue this government programme,” Dombo said.

He explained that the uncertainty surrounding the two offices makes prayer necessary. According to Dombo, the Speakership is elective and depends on the will of Parliament, while the Vice President is appointed at the discretion of the President.
“I say we pray harder because speakership is elective.

When people are going to elect, you cannot be sure whom they will elect. The Vice President is an appointment at the discretion of the President, so we don’t know if the President’s discretion will change or not. That is why we keep praying. It is a good thing to pray,” he added.

Dombo, however, noted that even if the two leaders fail to retain their positions, the Iteso should place their hope in their Members of Parliament to push for the restocking programme, which he described as a firm pledge of the NRM government.

He revealed that preparations are underway to convene newly elected NRM and NRM-leaning MPs at the party’s Kyankwanzi School of Leadership to harmonise positions on how manifesto commitments—including cattle restocking—will be handled in the 12th Parliament.

“This is a strategic engagement that is going to be done by our Members of Parliament. Tell your MPs, whether NRM or independent but NRM-leaning, to come to Kyankwanzi and make sure they participate as we prepare for the new Parliament,” Dombo said.

He further disclosed that Parliament is set to debate the Budget Framework Paper this week, expressing hope that cattle restocking and other development priorities will be captured. Once approved, he said, MPs will return to their constituencies to inform communities when implementation is expected to begin.

Mixed reactions

Dombo’s remarks have sparked mixed reactions across the region, with cultural leaders, civil society actors, and residents questioning the logic of tying a critical livelihood programme to the political fortunes of individual leaders.

Stephen Ojacor, the information minister for the Iteso Cultural Union, said the people of Teso are not responsible for deciding who becomes Speaker of Parliament or Vice President, noting that such decisions are made within party structures and Parliament.

“The issue of cows should not be mixed with politics. Whether we continue demanding or not, linking cattle restocking to positions like Vice President or Speaker only makes us a laughingstock,” Ojacor said.

He stressed that cattle restocking is a cultural, economic, and survival issue for the Iteso and called on government to treat it as a national development obligation rather than a political favour.

The Iteso Cultural Union also urged the government to engage the people of Teso with dignity, clarity, and respect and to provide a clear roadmap on how and when the restocking programme will be implemented.

Civil society weighs in

Benson Ekuwe, Executive Director of the Public Affairs Centre-Uganda, said development in Teso should not be tied to who holds which political office, but rather to strong, organised and issue-driven leadership.

For me, I don’t think there will be any missed opportunities if the Iteso lose key positions in government. We would rather have a larger pressure group than positions,” Ekuwe said.

He added that citizens should focus on demanding concrete policies, timelines, and budgets instead of being encouraged to rely on prayers or the political survival of specific office holders.

NRM at 40: achievements and challenges
Beyond the restocking debate, Dombo highlighted what he described as the NRM’s most outstanding achievement over 40 years: the entrenchment of democracy.

“When NRM came to power, political parties were suspended to build national unity. After achieving that unity, the political space was opened, and Ugandans were enabled to belong to organisations of their choice,” he said.

Dombo pointed to the 1995 Constitution, regular national and local elections, freedom of association and a vibrant media landscape as evidence that Uganda has transitioned from a country once ruled by “the barrel of the gun” to one where leaders are chosen through the ballot.

He claimed that Uganda now scores “far above 90 percent” in democratic practice and cited President Yoweri Museveni’s recent re-election with 71.7 percent of the vote as proof of public approval of NRM’s performance, noting improved party support in Eastern Uganda and other sub-regions.

However, Dombo acknowledged corruption as the biggest remaining challenge, calling for stronger whistleblower protection, a more robust judiciary and greater public participation in exposing graft.

On the economy, he said Uganda is on the right trajectory toward a self-sustaining and integrated economy, pointing to value-addition initiatives, agro-processing factories, the Parish Development Model (PDM), and restocking programmes in regions such as Teso.

He also defended Uganda’s military involvement in countries like Somalia and South Sudan, saying it is guided by the NRM’s Pan-African philosophy aimed at stabilising the region and promoting peace.

“As we celebrate 40 years of NRM, the journey is not complete, but the foundation is strong,” Dombo said. “Our task now is to consolidate these gains and do even better for the people of Uganda.”