Engineer Tiyo Sparks Development Hope in Ayivu East After NRM Primary Victory
Eng. Tiyo being welcomed by excited locals for his second rally in Kimiro cell on Monday
ARUA: The emergence of Eng. William Tiyo Odaa as a political contender has brought renewed hope to the residents of Ayivu East Division in Arua City.
A former District Engineer for Arua District, Eng. Tiyo is now vying for the Ayivu East parliamentary seat, currently held by Geofrey Feta.
In the recent National Resistance Movement (NRM) party primaries, Tiyo convincingly defeated incumbent MP Geofrey Feta and Zoe Bakoko Bakoru to emerge as the ruling party’s flag bearer for the January 15, 2026 general elections.
As he intensifies his campaigns across the constituency, many residents express strong belief in his ability to deliver development, citing his proven engineering expertise and track record of community support.
Peter Orijabo, a resident of Kimiro Cell in Eleku Ward, spoke enthusiastically during Tiyo’s campaign rally in the area on Monday, November 24, 2025.
“We have lagged behind in development for far too long, which is why we wanted fresh leadership. Even before entering politics, Eng. Tiyo has been supporting churches and mosques, lobbying for clean water sources, and helping construct wooden bridges. We are confident that once elected as our MP, he will do even greater things for us,” Orijabo said.
Agnes Abiria, a resident of Agorovu Cell, echoed similar sentiments, expressing hope that Tiyo will prioritize fixing bad roads, securing more boreholes, and extending electricity to rural parts of Ayivu East Division.
Speaking at Foko Church of Uganda in Eleku Ward, Eng. Tiyo highlighted some of his personal contributions to the community long before he considered running for political office.
“Before politics ever crossed my mind, I personally repaired doors and windows of the church teacher’s house of this church where we are at my own cost. I later supplied sand and helped renovate the church interior. That valley you see across, I provided transport to bring poles for the raft bridge,” Tiyo said.
He acknowledged the acute shortage of safe water, revealing that he had successfully lobbied his friends at Healing Hands International to drill a borehole in Alia Cell in June 2025 at a cost of Shs30 million.
“My friends have promised more water points. With God’s grace, if I am elected to the 12th Parliament, I will ensure the safe water challenge in this community is fully addressed,” he pledged.
Tiyo also committed to lobbying for a permanent bridge across the Adurua River, which separates Emvua and Kimiro cells.
“From our first rally in Agorovu, we should have crossed this river in five minutes, but we took over 30 minutes detouring because there is no bridge. Some roads here have not been opened in 20 years. I will work to attract government resources to open and improve roads across Ayivu East Division,” he said.
On electricity, Tiyo questioned the disparity between Ayivu East and neighboring Ayivu West Division, where power infrastructure is more widespread.
“Are the people of Ayivu West different from us? We deserve electricity too,” he asked rhetorically, promising to coordinate with relevant government ministries, departments, and agencies to extend power supply to all parts of the constituency.
The engineer further pledged to leverage government programs to boost household incomes and encourage youth to acquire vocational skills for self-reliance.
As the campaigns gain momentum, many residents believe Eng. Tiyo represents the fresh, development-oriented leadership Ayivu East has long awaited.