David Okwere Defeats John Bosco Ikojo to Clinch NRM Flag for Bukedea MP Seat.
BUKEDEA — David Beecham Okwere has been declared the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flagbearer for Bukedea Constituency in the 2026 Parliamentary elections, following a closely contested primary election in which he defeated incumbent Member of Parliament John Bosco Ikojo.
According to results released by the NRM Electoral Commission Returning Officer for Bukedea District, Charles Otai, Okwere polled 13,651 votes, narrowly ahead of Ikojo who secured 13,064 votes.
The total number of valid votes cast was 32,385.
Other candidates in the race included George Stephen Ekuma with 3,540 votes and Solomon Alfred Isalameje Obwokor with 2,130 votes.
“I therefore declare David Okwere, who has polled the highest number of votes, as the duly elected NRM Flagbearer for Bukedea District Member of Parliament, 2025,” read the official declaration, signed at 10:50 PM on July 17, 2025.
Background on Okwere
David Okwere is a lawyer and development practitioner who began political mobilisation efforts in Bukedea two years prior to the primaries. During this period, he supported several women’s savings and credit cooperatives (SACCOs), facilitated the distribution of digital learning equipment such as laptops to schools, and coordinated the installation of over 380 boreholes to improve access to clean water in rural communities.
Okwere’s campaign focused on public service delivery, rural infrastructure, and education sector support, themes he had emphasized through prior engagement at community level.
Ikojo’s Attempted Return
John Bosco Ikojo, who represented Bukedea in the 9th and 10th Parliaments (2011–2021), was seeking to return to elective politics after a four-year hiatus.
An economist by training, Ikojo previously chaired the Parliamentary Committee on National Economy and was involved in oversight of Uganda’s borrowing frameworks and major infrastructure financing.
His narrow loss indicates that he retains a significant support base in the district, though it also reflects shifting dynamics within the NRM at constituency level.
(chimp)