The National Unity Platform (NUP) party, led by Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine, has unveiled former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) youth leader Mercy Marion Alupo as its unopposed flag bearer for the Bukedea District Woman MP seat in the 2026 general elections.
The announcement, made at NUP’s headquarters in Makerere Kavule, Kampala, marks a significant escalation in opposition efforts to challenge the dominance of incumbent MP Anita Annet Among, who also serves as the Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda.
Alupo who yesterday expressed her interests to unseat incumbent MP was confirmed unopposed after what he described as “a consultative process with party leadership and local structures in Teso sub-region.”
“Comrades, today we officially unveil our candidate for Bukedea District Woman MP seat. She is none other than Alupo Mercy Marion. She will carry our flag unopposed, and together we shall take this struggle to Bukedea,” said NUP EC boss amidst cheers from party supporters.
The announcement ends speculation about whether NUP would field its own candidate in Bukedea, a district that has been an NRM stronghold and is politically dominated by Speaker Among’s personal networks.
During brief remarks after her unveiling, Alupo delivered a calm but pointed message aimed at clarifying her intentions.
“I want to be clear to my people in Bukedea and the whole country: I am not running to unseat the Office of the Speaker of Parliament. I am running against Anita Annet Among the candidate and incumbent Woman MP for Bukedea,” she said.
Her statement seemed designed to neutralise criticism that her bid is a personal attack on Uganda’s third-most powerful political office, while also signalling she will not be intimidated by Among’s national stature.
Alupo accused the incumbent of neglecting critical service delivery issues in Bukedea, promising to prioritise education and health if elected.
“Our children are struggling to stay in school. Our mothers cannot access proper health services. These are the gaps I want to close. We need better for Bukedea,” she told supporters.
Alupo’s endorsement underscores NUP’s strategy to expand its electoral presence in Eastern Uganda, a region traditionally dominated by the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
While NUP performed strongly in Buganda and parts of Busoga in 2021, it has so far struggled to secure elected MPs in Teso sub-region.
Party officials believe Alupo’s profile as a youthful, energetic mobiliser and former FDC National Youth League Treasurer makes her an ideal candidate to break new ground in Bukedea.
“We know the challenge before us,” one NUP mobiliser in Bukedea told this newspaper. “But the people want change, and they want a real choice. Mercy Alupo is that choice.”
The Bukedea Woman MP race is expected to be one of the most closely watched contests in 2026 because of Anita Among’s formidable national profile.
Among, who became Speaker in 2022 after the death of Jacob Oulanyah, is known for her strong grip on parliamentary processes and her ability to mobilise resources for her district.
She has also faced growing scrutiny and criticism over questions of transparency and governance, issues the opposition is expected to highlight in the campaign.
While Among remains the clear favourite thanks to her incumbency and NRM’s dominance in the area, political analysts say Alupo’s NUP candidacy will test the extent of opposition penetration into Eastern Uganda.
“Speaker Among has massive advantages,” said political commentator Moses Obore in Soroti. “But the very fact that NUP is willing to field a candidate, and one who is relatively well-known, means they are serious about challenging the idea that Bukedea is untouchable.”
Reaction in Bukedea District has been mixed.
Some local NUP coordinators celebrated the official announcement as a “game-changer” that would energise opposition voters who have long felt neglected.
“People have been saying there is no alternative. Now they have one,” said Agnes Amuron, a NUP supporter in Kachumbala.
But supporters of the incumbent dismissed Alupo’s chances as slim, arguing that Among has delivered tangible development and commands loyalty among local leaders.
“Let them bring anyone. Speaker Among has worked for us. Mercy will learn that elections here are not won on social media,” said John Okello, an NRM supporter from Bukedea town.
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