By Emmanuel Olinga
Vice President Maj. (Rtd.) Jessica Rose Alupo has been re-elected as Chairperson of the Veterans’ League for Oigo-Imomwa Village in Ongongoja Sub-county, Katakwi District.
Alupo, who has held the position for over 10 years, was declared the winner by NRM Village Election Officer Moses Otim during the NRM party flag bearer elections for village structures held on May 6, 2025.
She secured a landslide victory with 307 votes, defeating her sole challenger Charles Alongu, who garnered only 5 votes.
Ahead of the elections, Alongu, himself a former Arrow Boys member, campaigned on a platform of advocating for iron sheet allocations for Arrow Boys who fought against the LRA in the Teso sub-region.
However, Alupo reassured voters that the government already has the iron sheets in stock and is working to distribute them to the intended beneficiaries.
Speaking after the polls, both candidates praised the process, with Alongu describing the elections as free and fair.
Alupo commended the democratic spirit of the village and announced plans to involve Alongu in follow-up efforts with the government, describing him as a valuable link between her and the community.
In the veterans’ league elections, only the chairperson position was contested, while all other committee positions went unopposed.
Alupo raised concerns about missing names in the NRM yellow book, noting that about 76 names were unaccounted for.
She urged residents to ensure they register when the time comes to avoid being left out in future elections.
She also cautioned politicians against the commercialization of politics and encouraged residents to embrace government livelihood programs for development.
NRM Electoral Commission Vice Chairperson Fred Omach, who oversaw the election process, praised the Oigo-Imomwa polls as among the most peaceful and transparent of the over 72,000 village elections nationwide.
He confirmed that voters who were missing from the yellow book were noted in a separate register and were permitted to vote, with their details to be submitted to the NRM Electoral Commission for future inclusion.
Earlier in the day, Alupo had guided the village registrar to read aloud the names of all registered voters to verify their presence, ensuring a transparent and orderly voting process.
A total of 312 voters were registered for the NRM village-level structures.
In another tightly observed race, George William won the NRM village flag bearer position with 294 votes, defeating George Okapel who received 4 votes, and Ialari AA who got 8 votes.
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