Alupo, Ogwang reunion ignites fresh hope for unity in Katakwi

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Residents of Katakwi district have reacted to the surprise reconciliation between Vice President Jessica Alupo and sports state minister Peter Ogwang on November 1, 2025.

The reconciliation occurred during President Yoweri Museveni’s 2026 re-election campaign rally at the district booma grounds in Katakwi Town Council.

The rare sight of Alupo, who also serves as the Katakwi Woman MP, and Ogwang, the Ngariam County legislator, hugging and flashing a thumbs-up sign as they beamed with delight, prompted wild cheers and applause from both the crowd and top National Resistance Movement (NRM) leaders.

The two figures, whose rivalry had divided the ruling party’s supporters in the district for years, posed together for photographs several times at the rally — a gesture that has sparked hope for reconciliation among their followers.

The political feud between the pair dates back to the turbulent 2021 general election.

Ogwang, then a strong supporter of Violet Akurut, backed her against Alupo during the NRM primaries for the Katakwi Woman Parliamentary seat.

That contest was marred by controversy, with Alupo accusing party officials of bias. She eventually contested as an independent candidate and defeated Akurut in the general election, reclaiming her seat.

Since then, the district’s NRM supporters have been sharply divided, with Alupo and Ogwang leading rival factions.

However, on Saturday, when President Museveni took his re-election campaign to Katakwi, the two leaders stood together before a massive crowd at the rally — a moment that electrified the audience and ignited conversations across the district.

“For us, the ordinary party supporters, the difference between our two senior leaders has been so ugly,” said William Okiror, a resident of Odoot parish in Palam subcounty, Katakwi, told New Vision.

“I pray that what they have exhibited today marks the beginning of a new chapter, not just a photo moment,” he added.

To others, the image of the Vice President and the state minister standing side by side and exchanging greetings was a powerful sign that political maturity had prevailed.

“Being a district with the Vice President, we need to be exemplary to the rest of the country,” said Kevin Aanyu, a district councillor.

“The move by our two leaders to shake hands and embrace in public shows that they are mature leaders,” Aanyu added.

However, not everyone is convinced that the reconciliation will last.

Dr Okodan Akwap, an associate consultant at the Uganda Management Institute, Mbale Campus, cautioned that the public display might be more symbolic than genuine.

“That was just a photo opportunity to show the country that NRM is one,” Dr Akwap argued.

“Their efforts to put on brave faces of starting a new chapter can’t yield much because the fight in Katakwi is about superiority over who is closer to the President,” he stated.

Alupo described Ogwang on the loudspeaker as her 'son' and promised to work together for the good of the party and the people of Katakwi.

“Honourable Peter Ogwang is my son. Some people have been saying we have issues; we have no issues with honourable Peter Ogwang,” she said, drawing more cheers.

“All I can say, Your Excellency, is that there is peace and harmony among all the leaders of Katakwi district from LC1 level up to the district level. So, we thank you for always teaching us to work together,” she told the President.

Despite the scepticism, the moment has generated cautious optimism among the district’s residents, who say the political rivalry has long distracted leaders from addressing pressing local challenges.