Dr. Eunice Apio Otuko is a politician, activist, researcher and writer known for her unwavering commitment to human rights and democracy in Uganda.
Recently, she won the Oyam North constituency seat in a hotly contested by-election.
Dr. Apio's political journey began in 2017, after years of following the politics of Oya and inspired to make a difference.
She says she wanted to raise the bar in the quality of representation for the people of Oyam North, contribute to national development and improve the wellbeing of her constituents.
Growing up in Oyam district, she was inspired to join politics after witnessing the vibrancy of some MPs in the previous parliament, and the subsequent decline in representation after the exit of the Hon. Ben Wacha.
A long time member of the Uganda People's Congress (UPC) from childhood, she was guided by the party's beliefs and ideology of truthfulness, honesty, modesty, respect and fairness.
"I am a God-fearing woman, I love and respect my people, and I stand for the truth," she said.
Dr Apio was born in 1975, in her maternal grandmother's house in Acokara parish, Otwal sub county, Oyam district.
She went to VH Primary school in Lira city, and then progressed to St. Mary's College Aboke for O -level, where she narrowly escaped a Lord Resistance Army(LRA) raid.
From there, she progressed to Tororo Girls' School for A level, before joining Makerere University for her First degree in Science and later earned a Masters in Human Rights. She recently got a PhD in African Studies and Anthropology at the University of Birmingham (UK).
Her parents have been a source of inspiration and strength, particularly her father who was a medical doctor and writer, and her mother who raised all nine of her children single-handedly.
"We were close, and had a close resemblance. He (the father) was a medical doctor, and writer. I greatly admired and looked up to him. I wrote my novel, Zura Maids, to fulfil a promise I had made to him when I was 9 years old, four years before his demise," she noted.
Dr. Apio's political journey has not been without challenges. She faced heavy monetisation of political campaigns, violence and gender weaponisation, where her being a woman was used against her candidacy.
"Phones and money meant for paying polling agents were taken, food truck for supplying polling agents 'arrested, and open raids on polling stations by senior politicians of the ruling party where polling officials were put at gunpoint to hand over ballot booklets, that were then ticked and stuffed in to ballot boxes," she narrated.
On election day, her vote protection infrastructure was systematically targeted, and key persons responsible for oversight were arrested, humiliated and harassed.
Despite all these challenges, Dr. Apio's resilience, commitment and support from her party led her to victory.
Upholding democracy and free and fair elections remains a significant challenge in Uganda. Dr Apio believes that there is gross misuse of state resources by those in power, and the Electoral Commission is not given a conducive space to do its work.
She feels that more work needs to be done to grow Uganda's democracy and create a just and transparent system.
Her first taste of electoral politics was in the 2021 general elections where she lost, she believes because the election was rigged.
Her parents have been a source of inspiration and strength, particularly her father who was a medical doctor and writer, and her mother who raised all nine of her children single-handedly.
"We were close, and had a close resemblance. He (the father) was a medical doctor, and writer. I greatly admired and looked up to him. I wrote my novel, Zura Maids, to fulfil a promise I had made to him when I was 9 years old, four years before his demise," she noted.
Dr. Apio is not just a politician, but also a human rights activist, peacebuilder, researcher, and writer. She has a wealth of experience in these fields, having earned a Master's degree in Human Rights and a PhD in African Studies and Anthropology from the University of Birmingham in the UK.
Despite her many accomplishments, Dr. Apio says she remains grounded, recognising the need for a thick skin and gravitating towards the center of politics.
Away from politics, Dr Apio is passionate about writing. She has published several book chapters in edited volumes, articles in peer-reviewed journals and fictional works. Her latest novel, Zura Maids, reimagines the experiences of survivors of human trafficking in an African context.
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She is currently working on a historical piece set in 1872 that will creatively bring to life the facts about people's experiences of trans-Saharan slave trade.
Dr Apio is also a social entrepreneur who works with marginalised communities in post-conflict northern Uganda and elsewhere. She believes in developing human capital, promoting policies aimed at poverty eradication, health and education, and lobbying for adequate budgetary resources to ensure people have access to safe drinking water sources, rural electrification and improved wellbeing.
As a member of the UPC party, Dr Apio stands for human rights, peace, democracy, and the development of her constituents and the country at large.
Her commitment to these causes is evident through her work, dedication and resilience. She continues to inspire many, especially young women, to get involved in politics and contribute to Uganda's democratic process.
