'Persuade independents, Opposition to support NRM'

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Vice-President Jessica Alupo has called upon the National Resistance Movement [NRM] party supporters to continue persuading independent candidates and those in the Opposition to support the party flag-bearers at all levels through reconciliation.

"Don’t give up because time is still enough to woo back these independents, and this can only be done through reconciliatory approaches without necessarily involving any fights. Let's ensure that we have peaceful and credible elections free of violence," Alupo says.

Preach unity gospel

She has also urged clerics to continue preaching gospel of unity and reconciliation all the time, besides praying hard to stamp out corruption and moral decay within the society.

Alupo made the remarks on December 18, 2025, where she represented President Yoweri Museveni at the official opening of the Rotarian Sam Owori Skilling Institute located at Agururu A 1 cell in Tororo municipality.

The $100,000 (about shillings 350 million) project supporting the Rotary Club of Kampala in partnership with the Rotary Club of Innsbruck, Austria, will be implemented by Habitant for Humanity, which will provide technical support and build the capacity of the youths through skills development.

"Let everybody prepare to overwhelmingly vote for the president so that the pending pledges, like operationalisation of the new districts, can easily be implemented. Your ballot in terms of a big percentage should be your bargaining power," she said.

Cultural leader lauded

She lauded Jopadhola cultural leader Moses Stephen Owori for supporting the implementation of government programmes.

Alupo added that Owori is always at the forefront of championing the implementation of the Government programmes through poverty fight, use of land for production and promotion of education, which has seen his subjects benefit a lot.

"Thank you for the continued reconciliations and for demystifying the conflict between the Jopadhola and the Iteso communities. That is now a gone case and whoever is still locked up in the conflict might be confused because things have moved on’’ she said.

Requests

Earlier, Tororo municipality Member of Parliament Yeri Apollo Ofwono asked Alupo to help in addressing the poor road network from Tororo main roundabout to Rubongi Bridge, which has affected business because of potholes and heavy volumes of dust.

He also pleaded for the upgrade of the borehole located within the institute to a solar-powered borehole to serve the surrounding community.

The Kwar Adhola Moses Stephen Owori said his community is yearning for development, adding that they will always continue to rally the masses to support the implementation of the government.

NRM electoral commission chairperson Fredrick Tanga Odoi thanked Alupo for the district crusade and city mission that has finally brought unity and peaceful co-existence in Tororo.

Alupo said she is going to direct the works ministry to ensure that the contractor working on Rubongi bridge is assigned to tarmac the 1.5km road from the bridge to Tororo roundabout, and the water ministry to upgrade the borehole.