Vice President Jessica Alupo has camped in Soroti City, a key political hub in the Teso sub-region, to intensify mobilisation for President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and candidates of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
Addressing party supporters, Alupo said her presence in Soroti is aimed at consolidating support for NRM flag bearers and safeguarding the party’s political influence in a city where opposition parties have remained dominant for years. She stressed that Soroti’s votes must remain aligned with the NRM, describing the city as strategically vital to the party’s fortunes in Teso.
“The mission is to reclaim Soroti from the opposition,” Alupo said, warning that the city must not slip back into opposition hands at such a critical political moment. She pledged to boost the NRM’s visibility and campaign machinery, particularly in support of David Calvin Echodu (Soroti City West), Sarah Inachu (Soroti City Woman MP), and Isaac Orego (Soroti City East).
Alupo urged NRM grassroots leaders to engage opposition supporters through persuasion rather than confrontation, calling for calm and inclusive mobilisation.
“Do not use force,” she cautioned, encouraging supporters to win over friends and family from parties such as the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and the National Unity Platform (NUP).
She also underscored the need for visionary leadership capable of advocating effectively for constituents in a country with more than 140 districts, and appealed to Soroti residents to entrust the NRM with representing their interests at the national level.
“Soroti City is the heartbeat of Teso politics and the face of government programmes in the region. For development to reach you, the NRM must remain strong here,” she said. Turning to the youth, Alupo advised them to support leaders focused on development rather than division, and called for respect for security personnel and peaceful conduct throughout the campaign period.
NRM Teso sub-region mobiliser Teddy Acam appealed for unity within the party, warning that internal divisions, particularly support for independent candidates by some influential members, could undermine the NRM’s electoral prospects.
She urged voters to rally behind President Museveni and official party candidates, saying the objective is to reclaim Soroti from long-standing opposition control. Soroti City West candidate David Calvin Echodu thanked the Vice President for reinforcing party mobilisation, noting that her involvement has energised campaigns across the city.
He said his campaign centres on economic transformation and moving away from divisive politics, which he blamed for weakening the NRM’s appeal in Soroti over the years. During a recent campaign stop in the city, President Museveni similarly urged residents to back the NRM, questioning continued opposition support despite what he described as significant government-led development in the area.
He tasked party grassroots structures with uniting efforts to reclaim Soroti and sustain development gains. Soroti has historically been regarded as the opposition stronghold in the Teso sub-region, with opposition parties, particularly the FDC, holding most parliamentary and city council seats since 2006.
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