Sylvia Damalie Owori, a former Ugandan fashion designer, businesswoman and deputy director of operations wealth Creation (OWC) has revealed to why she wants to run for the seat of Tororo District Woman Member of Parilamennt in the forthcoming elections.
In the post she shared on Thursday 04th April 2024, Owori disclosed that she want to stand as Woman MP of Tororo against the incumbent Sarah Opendi in 2026 general elections.
The reasoned that the incumbent Sarah Opendi who is serving for the second time as the Woman MP for Tororo has been spreading misinformation about her instead of addressing national concerns on the floor of Parilamennt.
She went on to say that the want to unseat Opendi because she is unprofessional , unworthy and that it is high to focus serving her constituents and Uganda’s since they deserves better than this petty politics like Opendi.
It should be recalled in 2023, reports revealed how Sylvia Owori is embroiled in land disputes with more than 15 families in Tororo municipality. The families accuse Owori of using her security connections in her attempt to displace them from their homes.
The land dispute has also been mentioned in the Uganda Parliament by Tororo Woman MP Hon. Sarah Opendi, much to Sylvia Owori’s dislike. Via X, Owori has vented, stating how she threatens Hon. Opendi to stand against her in forthcoming general elections.
“WHAT A SHAME! It’s very disappointing to see MP Sarah Opendi continuously spreading hate and misinformation against me on the floor of parliamnet instead of focusing on issues that matter to all Ugandans right now. MP Sarah Opendi is fixated on baseless accusations and name-calling just because of her perceived threat of me standing against her as Woman MP of Tororo. It’s unprofessional & unworthy of a “parliamentarian.”
Despite efforts to resolve land disputes legally Sarah Opendi persists in her biased behavior, questioning my UG nationality and hurling personal attacks at any chance she gets. MP Sarah Opendi persists in her biased behavior, jealousy, envy and malicious behavior.
This has no place in our democratic process and undermines the integrity of our institutions like the judiciary and I call upon MP Sarah Opendi to prioritize the responsibilities of her office and refrain from further divisive actions.
Let’s focus on serving our constituents who really need us. Uganda deserves better than this petty politics of hers. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.”,she noted via her X account.
Sylvia Owori, one of the most famous women in Uganda over the last two decades, has thrown her makeup kit into the Tororo Woman MP race.
Ms Owori, by virtue of her association with Gen Salim Saleh, is already seen as a political lobbyist, working under President Museveni’s brother who is seen as the biggest political mover and shaker in the country.
A jerk of all trade, few woman have walked the stilettoes of Ms Owori, who has lived as go-getter a life as she has ventured on the daring.
From 1999 when she took a then 25-year-old I-don’t-care Eva Mbabazi out of TV clips and billboards of her Sylvie’s Boutique to peddle her skin and flesh live for Kampala.
Ms Owori made model Eva Mbabazi wear her latest fashion clothes and stand in strategic locations in Kampala.
The highlight was the fishnet dress that Owori had just imported. Mbabazi simply threw on a G-String and bra to hide the little they could and went to work at Rock Gardens.
Sylvie’s Boutique hit the skies of Kampala with that fashion statement.
Ms Owori, whose bio shows she holds a bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Derby, studied fashion design at Newham College in London, beginning at the age of 19.
She would return home and open Sylvie’s Boutique that grew to hold major branches at Garden City Mall, at Mabirizi Complex, and another in Kilimani in Nairobi, Kenya.
From selling imported clothes, Ms Owori ventured into designing and manufacturing for herself.
In 2000, she was selected to design the clothes worn by the contestants at the MNet Face of Africa, in Dar es Salaam and Cape Town.
The following year, in 2001, she was selected to design the clothes worn by the Ugandan finalist at the Nokia Face of Africa competition.
But beside the splash with the fishnet and Sylvie’s Boutique, Owori got her real stilettoes up between 2001 and 2004 as the franchise holder of Miss Uganda Beauty Pageant, becoming easily the most famous society personality in the country.
The former Zipa Models boss who also had her own own clothesline under the Sylvia Owori label, would venture into publishing and promoting the face of woman in the region with ‘Africa Woman Magazine’.
The glossy monthly publication with circulation in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan and Tanzania was housed behind Vision Group in Industrial Area.
Ms Owori’s foray into politics, thus, comes as the personality with “been-there-and-done-that” and while Opendi’s political mileage has the edge, local observers believe anyone who has the blessings of Gen Salim Saleh has the electorate’s attention.