Newly unearthed archive photographs have revealed that Mr. David Calvin Echodu, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Central Executive Committee (CEC) candidate for Vice Chairperson Eastern Uganda, played a direct role in supporting government and local communities during the height of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency in the early 2000s.
The images, shared this morning by Mr. Augustine Otuko, head of publicity for Echodu’s campaign team on X, show the youthful Echodu donating relief items to volunteer fighters and displaced civilians in the Teso Sub-region at the time when Joseph Kony’s rebels had extended their reign of terror into eastern Uganda.
In one particularly striking photo, Echodu is seen speaking to a commander of the Arrow Boys after delivering food relief at a volunteer fighter training camp in Serere around 2002–2003.
Standing alongside him in the picture is Captain Emily Otekat, the former MP and LCV Chairperson of Serere District, who played an instrumental role in mobilizing local resistance against the rebels.
Otuko, posting the photos on X (formerly Twitter), wrote: “@EchoduOfficial, the NRM National Vice Chairperson Candidate for Eastern Region, talking to one of the Commanders of Arrow Boys after delivering the first container of food items to the Volunteer Fighter Training Camp in Serere in 2002/2003. In the middle is Cpt. Emily Otekat, the former MP/LCV for Serere District. This was part of his efforts and contribution to the liberation of Teso from the invasion of Kony’s LRA.”
The release of the archive images comes at a time when some of Echodu’s political opponents have been questioning his record of contribution to government and to the people of Teso, Lango, and Acholi during times of crisis.
By showing his active involvement in supporting communities during one of the region’s darkest chapters, the images appear to put to rest lingering doubts about his patriotism and his commitment to the survival and stability of eastern Uganda.
Political commentator Solomon Opio from Kumi District says the photographs could shift the narrative in Echodu’s favor, reinforcing his message of tested leadership and service at a time when unity remains a rallying cry for the ruling party.
The early 2000s saw the LRA, led by fugitive warlord Joseph Kony, expand its operations beyond northern Uganda into the Teso Sub-region.
The attacks left hundreds dead, displaced thousands, and forced local communities to organize volunteer militias, famously known as the Arrow Boys, to defend themselves alongside government forces.
During this period, humanitarian needs skyrocketed, with internally displaced persons (IDP) camps springing up across Teso, Lango, and Acholi.
Relief supplies, ranging from food and clothing to medical essentials, were desperately needed to sustain both the civilian population and the local militias fighting against the LRA.
It is in this context that Echodu, then a young businessman and mobilizer, is said to have stepped in to donate critical relief items, working closely with community leaders and security officials to sustain the war effort.
According to his campaign team, the resurfaced images are proof of Echodu’s long-standing dedication to the people of eastern Uganda and to the NRM government’s cause of peace and stability.
“This is not a man who sat on the sidelines while his people suffered,” Otuko told TNN this morning. “He was present, he gave, and he supported the volunteer fighters and communities. The photos are evidence that his leadership is rooted in action, not empty words.”
As the race for NRM CEC Vice Chairperson Eastern Uganda heats up, authenticity and service record have become key issues among party members and grassroots supporters.
With rivals seeking to undermine Echodu’s standing by questioning his past involvement, the release of verifiable historical evidence could give his campaign fresh momentum.
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