Vice President Maj. (Rtd) Jessica Rose Alupo has been declared the Chairperson Veterans for Oigo Imumwa Village in the just-concluded NRM village structures elections.
Alupo secured a resounding victory after polling 307 votes, defeating her sole challenger, Charles Alongu, who garnered only 5 votes.
Following her victory, Alupo expressed heartfelt gratitude to the residents of Oigo Imumwa for trusting her leadership and electing her to steer the veterans’ docket at the village level.
“I sincerely thank the people of Oigo Imumwa Village for electing me as the Chairperson Veterans. I also applaud Charles Alongu for the courage to stand against me in what has been a free and fair election the kind of democracy the government and His Excellency the President have been preaching,” Alupo said after being declared the winner.
As one of the prominent figures participating in the village-level NRM elections, Alupo highlighted the importance of government programmes such as the Parish Development Model, Emyooga, and the Youth Livelihood Programme, which she said are critical in transforming livelihoods in rural areas.
She also announced that the government has embarked on the construction of the Achinga Bridge, which will connect Oigo Imumwa Village in Katakwi District with Kapelebyong District, easing the transportation of goods to various markets and enhancing trade in the region.
However, Alupo issued a stern warning to politicians vying for various positions, urging them to desist from commercialising politics. “Buying votes discourages people from electing the right leaders and promotes chaos,” she cautioned.
Fred Jachan Omach, the Vice Chairperson of the NRM Party Electoral Commission, commended the people of Oigo Imumwa for holding peaceful and well-organised elections. He noted that across the country, elections had been conducted in over 72,000 villages, but Oigo Imumwa had exhibited remarkable discipline, allowing residents to freely elect leaders of their choice.
Omach also reminded the newly elected leaders—31 per village in the NRM structures of their role in mobilising support for President Yoweri Museveni and the NRM government.
In a related development, Vice President Alupo rallied the people of Katakwi to embrace government programmes aimed at poverty eradication, emphasising that development can only be achieved if communities work together to support government initiatives.