State Minister for Fisheries and Serere District Woman MP Hellen Adoa on Tuesday received a rousing, symbolic welcome in Iningo Trading Centre in Kateta Sub County, the home base of her main political rival, Esther Lucy Acom.
In a dramatic show of loyalty shift and grassroots appreciation, locals showered the minister with traditional gifts, including goats, chickens, turkeys, sheep, fish, and other valuable items.
The event marked a significant political moment in the heated race for Serere District Woman MP seat as Adoa seeks re-election.
Iningo, long considered a stronghold of Acom’s supporters, appeared to tilt in favour of the incumbent as hundreds turned out to welcome her convoy with singing, ululations, and drumming.
In an especially striking gesture, over 30 youth led by Ogwang John Kokas, who once served as campaign mobilisers for Esther Lucy Acom, publicly announced they had “surrendered” to Minister Adoa’s camp.
They cited the minister’s consistent presence, hands-on development work, and commitment to addressing local challenges as reasons for their defection.
Speaking after receiving the gifts, Minister Adoa expressed visible gratitude and relief.
“First of all, I’m more happy. I am relaxed. You know, when you have not done anything on the ground, you feel guilty. But everywhere I go, at least my hand has been there,” she told the cheering crowd.
She described her years of service not only as a Cabinet Minister responsible for fisheries at the national level, but also as an on-the-ground problem-solver for the diverse challenges facing Serere District.
“For the last nine years, I wake up in the morning and address issues, problems of Serere and challenges. So it makes me feel it’s part of life,” she said.
“It’s just maybe one or two people who have their own issues. Otherwise, the majority of Serere people know how much I have supported.”
The minister underscored that her role had gone well beyond fisheries policy, describing herself as a de facto “minister of disaster” for Serere due to her personal involvement during local emergencies.
“Every disaster that happens in Serere, I have stood with them. On the side of roads, I’ve been like a minister in charge of roads, because all their issues of the road network, they look for you,” she said.
She cited borehole repairs, support to community and government schools, health outreach initiatives, including cervical cancer screening for women, and improvements in fisheries management as part of her legacy.
“Every aspect of education, supporting them to build their community education, even government schools. When they have challenges, they come to us. I have supported almost all reporters of the government schools in Serere. I have supported community schools. I have supported health camps. I bring health camps to Serere,” she added.
On fisheries, a sector with deep significance in Serere’s economy, Adoa told her supporters she had worked tirelessly to improve the livelihoods of local fishing communities.
“My fishermen know how much I have tried. So as much as I have opponents, the fact is I have done a lot on the ground,” she concluded.
The defection of over 30 youth from Acom’s camp to Adoa’s was seen as a major political boost.
Ogwang John Kokas, the group’s leader, addressed the rally, pledging their energy, networks, and votes to the incumbent. He praised Adoa’s humility and availability in addressing local issues.
Political observers say the event may mark a turning point in the contest for Serere Woman MP seat, signalling a potential weakening of Acom’s grassroots machinery in her own backyard.
The assortment of livestock and fish given to the minister was more than symbolic.
In Teso culture, such gifts are traditionally reserved for respected leaders and guests of honour, signalling trust, gratitude, and an endorsement of the visitor’s standing in the community.
Residents interviewed at the rally said the gesture was meant to show Adoa that despite political rivalry, she remains “a daughter of Serere” who has never abandoned them.
“We have seen her during floods, funerals, school crises, even when the fishers were arrested on the lake, she was there. So today we show her love,” said one elder.
Meanwhile, Esther Lucy Acom’s camp has yet to formally respond to the developments in Iningo.
However, her strategists are expected to redouble their mobilisation efforts in the coming weeks to defend their turf and contest Adoa’s growing popularity.
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