Veteran journalist and community development advocate, Mr. Stephen Ariong, has announced his withdrawal from the upcoming Serere County NRM primary elections, citing what he described as “planned foul play” and a crowded, unfair process.
The former governance and investigative reporter, who has spent decades covering high-profile stories across Teso and Karamoja, declared he would now contest as an NRM-leaning independent candidate.
Ariong initially expressed interest in contesting under the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party ticket, hoping to offer a fresh, service-oriented leadership for Serere County. However, after sensing a well-orchestrated plan to rig the primaries, he made the decision to run independently, while maintaining loyalty to the NRM ideals and President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
“I had hoped to serve through the official NRM process, but the direction the primaries are taking is not fair. There’s clear manipulation and irregularities being plotted. I have chosen to remain loyal to the vision of the President, but will now take the independent path,” Ariong told this publication in an exclusive interview.
Ariong has not slowed down in his community development efforts. Over the past months, he has actively worked to address long-standing water challenges in Serere County, an issue that has contributed to frequent outbreaks of typhoid in the region.
Through personal efforts and partnerships with local technicians, Ariong has repaired over 1,000 boreholes across the county, many of which had long been abandoned and overgrown in remote bushlands.
Thanks to his intervention, thousands of residents now access clean water without having to pay for maintenance.
Ariong established and trained a network of community-based hand pump mechanics to ensure the boreholes remain functional and sustainable.
“In my view, clean water is a right, not a luxury. Our people were falling sick due to contaminated water. That is unacceptable in this era,” Ariong said.
In education, Ariong has gone a step further by investing in solar energy infrastructure.
He has installed solar lighting systems in eight government primary schools, enabling Primary Seven candidates to attend night revision sessions.
The initiative has already begun improving performance and attendance among exam classes. More schools, he says, are currently being assessed for connection.
In a further show of commitment to education, Ariong has also roofed five teachers’ houses in various schools, stepping in where Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) had failed to raise adequate resources.
The improved accommodation is expected to boost teacher morale and retention, especially in hard-to-reach rural areas.
Religious institutions have not been left out of his outreach.
Ariong has so far connected solar power to 15 churches across the county, with more in the pipeline.
Last month, he expanded his support to the livestock sector, launching a free distribution of veterinary drugs targeting ticks and other parasites.
This project is being run in partnership with trained community animal health workers.
The intervention is already benefiting hundreds of cattle keepers who had previously been overwhelmed by high veterinary costs.
In his remarks, Ariong emphasized that his development agenda is in line with President Museveni’s vision to eradicate poverty from Uganda.
He pledged to continue mobilizing support for both himself and the President in the upcoming elections.
“I am NRM at heart, and I will campaign for President Museveni. Serere needs leaders who understand the President’s vision and can implement it, not those who blame him while sitting in offices doing nothing,” Ariong stated.
He further dismissed critics who shift blame for Teso’s poverty to State House, insisting that the region has been entrusted with numerous senior government positions which, if well-utilized, can change lives.
“President Museveni has given the government to Teso. We must use our positions to create meaningful development here in Serere and across the region,” he said.
Taking a swipe at some political aspirants, Ariong criticized what he called “performative politics” that values public appearances over service delivery.
“Parliament is not a place to showcase your dressing or walking style. It’s a place to lobby for services. If you can’t do that, then you don’t belong there,” he said firmly.
With his growing record of grassroots interventions and a clear development agenda, Ariong’s independent bid is expected to shake up the race for Serere County MP.
He is positioning himself as a servant-leader driven by tangible results rather than party intrigues.
“Our people are watching. They have seen who works, and who only talks. Come 2026, I believe they’ll make the right choice,” he concluded.
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