The clash between the Vice President Jessica Alupo and the Vice Chairman of the National Resistance Movement for Eastern Uganda has further escalated.
The clash was first reported after the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, Vice-Chairperson, Eastern Region, Capt. Mike Mukula blamed the Vice President, Rtd. Major Jesca Alupo for ignoring the main NRM campaign task force during the Soroti East by-election and chose to work in isolation.
Mukula faulted Alupo for avoiding to contact the NRM Regional party Chairperson and Alupo sometimes worked with the opposition without elaborating how she worked with the opposition other than the NRM party.
Mukula claimed that Alupo’s method of working alone other than moving together with the main NRM campaign task-force contributed negatively to NRM’s poor performance during the Soroti City East by-elections.
The NRM Vice-Chairman, Eastern Region addressed a press conference at his home in Soroti city on July 29, 2022.
Mukula had alleged that Alupo had divided NRM MPs, cadres and Ministers in the region who are loyal to the Vice President who work and coordinate her activities in her favour.
He also expressed bitterness why Sanjay Tanna, the former Member of Parliament Tororo was imported to come to re-organize and harmonize the NRM by-election activities as if there was no person in the whole of Teso sub-region who could rise up to the task.
Sanjay Tanna challenged Mukula for the NRM Vice Chairperson position in the recent party elections and Mukula emerged the winner with a narrow margin.
He claimed that Alupo conducted and held independent separate meetings with different groups and people which was contrary to party’s desired position to have every top NRM government leader to join the efforts to wrestle out the seat from FDC’s Moses Okia Attan.
Alupo’s right hand Augustine Otuko, also former Ngariam county contestant in Katakwi district during a press conference on July 20, 2022 said that Mukula is a bishop of a cult fighting many in Teso and as a result, the region will not grow if NRM has such people.
“He raised critical issues about Teso while blaming the vice president for working with a parallel team rather than the NRM, the party works differently as there were two different teams during the by-election period, one for the national secretariat and a team in the city headed by George Egunyu, It’s not the first time we do such, we did it to win elections,” Otuko said.
But while responding on Sunday April 23, 2023 to various concerns raised by voters in Katakwi after rumors came that she was coming to contest as sole candidate for Usuk county, Alupo said, “trying to drag my name in conflicts is out of the question, I have no problem with any human being, but surprisingly some don’t sleep without mentioning my name and how to conduct mischief against me.”
She accused Mukula for de-campaigning her in 2021 while alleging that Mukula visited Katakwi 10 times during campaigns to fail her.
Citizens like Philip Oucor NRM flag bearer for Serere County appealed to the VP to use peaceful means to settle the matter.
“Toto you are the VP of the country. The honor your Excellency should remind you to reach out to all, preach peace and tolerance. There shouldn’t be war in any District in Teso under your watch. When history is written, you will not escape a whole paragraph as VP so we plead with you to provide the much needed leadership. Please reach out to your colleagues the Rt Hon Speaker, National Vice Chairman NRM, Deputy CDF, ISO General who are all Iteso and forge a peaceful co-existence. We are counting on each one of you, the TOP Teso Leaders,” Oucor appealed.
But Alupo in response said, “When people were injured broad daylight in Okore Sub County, one died, many were hospitalized, where were you to preach peace to that group. Anyway, the Word war came from one of your group mates.”
“Those who have often brutalized people of Katakwi during elections know themselves and therefore they should go seek forgiveness from the people they have always injured in many ways including the one who died in Palam,” she noted.
Sarah Inachu who contested for Soroti City East Polls also shared her ordeal noting that, “Toto VP Her Excellency, I regard you and hold you with the highest respect. But As a daughter who hails from Soroti, I want to report this!!! Soroti just like other districts would also be peaceful but instead, it’s these people from other districts who are frustrating us from everything we try to progressively do. What is happening??? Museveni has decentralized regions. We are equally bleeding in our own land. It will only take God to rescue us.”
The rift between the National Resistance Movement –NRM national Vice Chairman Eastern Region and the Vice President Jessica Alupo was meant to be solved by the party’s Central Executive Committee- CEC as disclosed by the NRM Electoral Commission Chairman Dr. Tanga Odoi on August 2, 2022 but to date the party is yet to make the decision public.