By Aggrey Baba
Vice President Maj. (Rtd) Jessica Alupo on Friday officially picked nomination forms to contest in the upcoming NRM party primaries for the Katakwi District Woman MP seat, a post she currently holds as an independent after losing in the last NRM party elections.
While addressing journalists and party officials at the NRM headquarters in Kyadondo, Alupo, dressed in her yellow Kitenge, carefully chose her words but left no doubt about her expectations this time round.
Seated beside her was the chairperson of the NRM Electoral Commission, Dr. Tanga Odoi who was silent throughout, occasionally nodding, even as Alupo’s message seemed directed at his office.
In 2020, Alupo lost the NRM flag bearer slot during the party primaries under circumstances many ‘shaky,’ only to bounce back and win the parliamentary seat as an independent in the general election.
Her return under the yellow bus banner now signals both confidence and a demand for a more transparent process.
She urged the party to respect its own electoral guidelines and reminded the secretariat and electoral officials to stick to their part of the bargain, with a clear call, that this time, those in charge should not bend the rules or frustrate popular candidates.
Alupo stressed that those who win at the grassroots should not be sidelined by technicalities or behind-the-scenes influences, adding that the NRM electoral process should not be reduced to drama where people vote one person and another is announced.
With the party primaries expected to be conducted by lining up behind candidates (a method prone to both praise and criticism), president Museveni’s second-in-command said this would make it easy to know who the people actually support. But she also hinted that even such a transparent method can be abused if those in charge are not neutral.
While her remarks appeared general, they were clearly targeted at the officials who oversee the primary elections (especially with Dr. Tanga Odoi just inches away).
For a party that has often been accused of manipulating internal processes to favour certain individuals, Alupo’s tone was a reminder that some wounds from the last primaries haven’t fully healed.
It is better to note that her decision to return to the party primary process, rather than sail through as an independent again, signals both political maturity and an attempt to mend fences with the NRM establishment.
However, it also puts the spotlight squarely on the party’s internal democracy (especially in Teso Region), a hotbed of NRM competition.
The Vice President also made mention of the NRM’s traditional values of non-discrimination, appealing to the party’s organs to avoid bias based on tribe, religion, region or gender.
In the past, some aspirants have claimed that local politics in Teso, including clan divisions and internal party loyalties, have influenced primary outcomes.
Alupo didn’t dwell on the past, but it was clear she hadn’t forgotten, and with Tanga Odoi silently nodding beside her, many were left wondering whether the message was received, or simply endured. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
