The MPs from Teso sub region,including the Speaker Anita Among and Vice President Jessica Alupo, all belong to a WhatsApp forum called”TPG 2021-2026 OFFICIAL” This is used for coordination purposes. The same MPs all belong to a grouping called Teso Parliamentary Group (TPG)whose current Chairman is BoscoOkiror, the MP Usuk County.
Okiror is actually one of the few MPs and elected leaders in Teso who still work very closely with Vice President Jessica Alupo who has fallen out witha lot of fellow elected leaders since
becoming VP. With full Alupo backing,Okiror got the position after the reign of Bishop Patrick Okabe who died some time last year and was replaced
by his son running on the independent
ticket.
Because he has exhibited a lot of Alupo-ism, those who dislike the VP for
some reason coiled and began becoming disinterested in TPG
activities and programmes. There is
barely any meetings or activities convened these days under TPG to discuss the sub region’s issues.
It’s only the TPG WhatsApp forum that
has lately been active with MPs, both from NRM and opposition, freely exchanging views. As VP, Alupo (being number 2 in the national hierarchy) has most of the times used this forum to
direct belligerence and hostilities at
those she dislikes or finds offensive.
Even during the most recent Kyankwanzi retreat, Alupo posted
controversial things on the TPG WhatsApp forum wildly praising
Gogonyo MP Derrick Oronyo for vigorously taking on the President demanding that he pronounces himself on what he called disruptive activities by the MK Movement crusaders. Alupo was lucky because being the VP she was permitted to have her phone inside the meeting room and praised Oronyo instantly.
After Kyankwanzi, Peter Ogwang (the
MK Teso Coordinator) began vigorous
mobilisation for the upcoming MK tour
slated for August this very year which is barely two months away.
Alupo, who desires to indicate to Museveni she can single-handedly
deliver Teso, is uncomfortable with the MK mobilisation because it’s giving her
archival Peter Ogwang additional platform to keep upstaging her back home in Katakwi. Ogwang has given her more reason to be sleepless
because he is closely working with
Cecilia Anyakoit, a former UPC girl who
in 2011 defeated Alupo but was unable
to be declared the winner.
The restless Alupo has been itching to vent against the ongoing MK mobilisation in the hope to deflate
Peter Ogwang. Her entry point this
time round was a crude attack on
former Katakwi LC5 Chairman Elakas
Walter Okiring who is closely working
with Ogwang to effect the MK mobilisation. Posting on the Teso Parliamentary
Group this morning, Alupo claimed
there are politicians who have made it
a habit to grab tenders to manage public cattle markets in Teso while collecting daily dues at the expense ofthe poor people. And that this actually
is how a lot of those people have been
funding their political campaigns over
the years.
She gave the example of Okiring and vowed to crack the whip on other elected leaders doing the same in their
She added there are speculative companies, belonging to political heavyweights from both Soroti and
Bukedea, which were being lined up to
win tenders to manage public markets in Katakwi partly to enable Elakas to raise campaign funding in the
remaining few years to the 2026 general elections.
Speaker Anita Among had guts to respond to Alupo (who many fear to annoy). Among responded that her
Bukedea district would be more
attractive to such selfish politicians (if
they indeed exist) than Alupo’s Katakwi
because they (Bukedea) have the
largest and therefore most lucrative
public cattle market in Teso.
Not one to go down without a fight,
Alupo pushed back and the manner
she did it rubbed many MPs the wrong
way. As if they had spoken to each and
agreed on some way forward, majority
MPs exited the group while advising
Bosco Okiror to remain in TPG with
those he likes.In the end, the whatsApp forum which had not less than 40 participants was left with only 5 members including Alupo, Okiror and three others.
Those who exited made it clear they
were protesting Alupo’s belligerent
approach and vowed not to be active
or have anything to do with TPG again
anymore until Okiror (who some
despise as Alupo’s walking stick)
ceases to be caucus Chairman. Herbert Ariko, the Soroti City MP, was among the first ones to exit arguing the environment had become too toxic for
his comfort. Minister Jeje Odongo and
Susan Amero protested as to why
people were leaving. In fact, Jeje Odongo had also just been readmitted
to the group having been controversially removed in March this
very year under very mysterious circumstances-URN
