A mammoth crowd filled Soroti Sports Ground on Saturday in a charged homecoming event for Calvin Echodu, whose return to the region quickly transformed into a powerful political rally, signalling what analysts describe as a significant shift in Eastern Uganda’s political landscape.
Echodu, who has declared his intention to challenge Capt. Mike Mukula for the Eastern region seat on the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC), delivered an impassioned address that blended personal empathy with political firepower, earning repeated cheers from the vast audience.
“I know that some of you came here without lunch or breakfast. I know times are hard,” Echodu said at the start of his speech, acknowledging the economic pressures weighing on many Ugandans.
“But I want to speak to you today with one message—there is hope. God has a plan for this country and our region. And President Museveni has a mission to transform Uganda.”
Promising an end to "empty promises," Echodu told the crowd that the time for waiting was over.
“We cannot pretend anymore. The time for patience has expired. It is time we put words into action,” he declared to thunderous applause.
His call for unity across the Teso and Busoga sub-regions resonated widely.
“We are tired of suffering. We are tired of being unemployed and unable to pay our bills. But we can change that if we work together,” he said, alternating between English and the local languages to ensure his message reached every listener.
Echodu also launched a scathing rebuke against corruption, pledging to lead a new era of transparent, people-focused politics.
“We are tired of leaders who blame others while our people suffer. Those days must end,” he vowed, drawing chants of approval from a visibly energised crowd.
The rally drew a cross-section of the region’s stakeholders—cultural leaders, youth groups, women’s savings cooperatives, religious figures, and local officials.
Organisers described the mobilisation as one of the largest in Teso in recent memory, with its political undertones sparking speculation about potential shifts ahead of the 2026 general elections.
In a gesture many interpreted as both charitable and strategic, Echodu donated Shs500,000 each to 13 village savings groups from Soroti City East and West.
Two boda boda associations also received Shs4 million apiece.
The donations were accompanied by a message of empowerment: “Become champions of change. Help the President. Together, we can make Uganda a place where we enjoy living.”
Echodu's endorsement of President Museveni’s development agenda, paired with his challenge to longstanding NRM figures like Mukula, suggests a reconfiguration of Eastern Uganda’s internal party dynamics.
As one youth leader put it after the event, “The wind is changing direction.”
With the 2026 polls on the horizon and CEC contests looming, Echodu’s return appears to have ignited more than nostalgia—it may have awakened a fresh political force in the east.