Patrick Amuriat eyes Kanyum County MP seat after withdrawing from 2026 presidential race

• Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) president Patrick Oboi Amuriat has withdrawn from the 2026 presidential race in favor of Nandala Mafabi and announced his intention to contest for the Kanyum County parliamentary seat in Kumi District. 
• Amuriat, who previously served in Parliament for 15 years, says the move is driven by voter demand and insists it is not a political downgrade. 
  

The president of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Patrick Oboi Amuriat, has turned his guns to parliamentary politics. This is after he decided to pave way for the party’s secretary general, Nandala Mafabi as the Najjanankumbi based party’s 2026 presidential flag bearer.

POA as he’s popularly known previously represented Kumi County in Parliament for 15 years. Henow intends to contest for the Kanyum County seat in Kumi District in the 2026 general elections.

“I’m returning to contest as Kanyum County MP in Kumi district,” Amuriat told New Vision.

Furthermore, he has also dismissed claims that his decision to run for a constituency seat amounts to a political downgrade since he’s been at a presidential level.

“Returning to contest as an MP is not lowering myself, and I shouldn’t be faulted for it because I’m not the first,” he explained.

To justify his choice, Amuriat pointed to other senior politicians who have taken similar routes after pursuing higher ambitions.

Gen. Henry Tumukunde, Norbert Mao, and Jimmy Akena all sought Parliament seats after bigger roles. I’m not alone in this.

Additionally, the FDC stalwart added that his move is driven by demand from voters in Kanyum County. These feel that they gave been underrepresented by their current member of Parliament.

I have been able to witness a big gap in representation, and that is what has made my people recall me to serve them.

It should be noted that this constituency is currently represented by NRM’s Simon Opolot, who retained the party flag in the recent NRM primaries. Opolot’s expected face-off with Amuriat is already being billed as a hot contest in Kumi politics.