There is trouble in President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party after a regional chairperson blamed Vice President Maj Gen (Rtd) Jessica Alupo of working with Uganda’s opposition to fail the party in government in the recently concluded Soroti City East byelection.
Capt Mike Mukula, the NRM Vice Chairperson for Eastern Uganda, wants the party’s national chairman Gen Museveni to rein in his vice president Alupo for reportedly dividing the party.
Even when the NRM’s Herbert Edmund Ariko won the byelection, beating Moses Attan Okia of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), the party is deeply divided in Teso from where both Alupo and Mukula come.
Mukula alleges that Alupo used the Soroti East byelection to disregard party structures and to show how powerful she is. He is concerned that the VP did what some might term as ‘passing eyes through’ Mukula, the NRM boss in eastern Uganda, Richard Todwong the party secretary general, as well as city NRM leadership to campaign in Soroti City East.
Mukula went as far as claiming that VP Alupo was providing support, including financial, to FDC’s Attan.
“I noticed in this campaign that people and groups were working while avoiding the structures of the party, working in silos, a party cannot work like this. This were not party differences: [they were] individual differences, ego. Ego must be avoided, be humble,” said Mukula, a former minister in Museveni’s government.
“I noted that even during this time, my sister, the Vice President HE Maj Gen (Rtd) Jessica Alupo was working in isolation, camped in another area, avoided getting in contact with the Secretary General, not getting in touch with the chairman of the region, not even one call; not getting in touch with the chairman of the city where the activity was taking place, she was sometimes even working with the opposition.”
He called for open methods of work where structures of the party are respected.
“Open methods of work are better but these divisions, if not addressed, are the ones that permeate to the population and create a political divide. That’s why reconciliation, avoidance of cliques,” said Mukula.
He has since reportedly threatened to resign his NRM Vice Chairman job if Museveni does not rein in Alupo.
Although Alupo has denied funding or supporting Attan in any way, the allegations against her could amount to betrayal to the appointing authority and the ruling party if proven true. The matter is expected to be part of discussions in the party’s relevant organs.
Meanwhile, a senior Minister in Museveni’s government has left many in NRM shocked after suggesting that FDC’s Attan won the election and that the ruling party stole the votes. (Read Story Here).
