NUP Picks Mercy Alupo to Take on Speaker Among in Bukedea

The National Unity Platform (NUP) has officially cleared Mercy Alupo to contest for the Bukedea Woman Member of Parliament seat in the 2026 general elections. Alupo was nominated at the NUP headquarters in Kampala following several engagements with the party’s top leadership.

NUP’s Electoral Commission Technical Advisor, Alex Byanyanga Rovans, confirmed the decision, saying the party had conducted a rigorous vetting process before selecting Alupo as its flag bearer. “We are fully aware of the tactics being used by the Speaker of Parliament to secure an unopposed return. But we have laid out strategies to ensure Alupo is duly nominated by the Electoral Commission. The people of Bukedea will decide at the ballot,” Byanyanga stated.

Alupo, speaking shortly after her nomination, said Bukedea deserves a democratic election, not a repeat of what she termed the “2021 saga,” where the electorate was denied a fair contest. “Bukedea is not a monarchy. Our people should not be deprived of their right to vote by individuals pushing selfish agendas,” Alupo said. She highlighted what she called a breakdown in key public services in the district, citing growing insecurity, poor roads, inadequate healthcare, and deteriorating education standards.

“If given the mandate, my top priority will be to restore security in Bukedea. We’ve lost lives to armed criminals, including a mobile money agent who was recently shot dead. Yet we have no answers from security agencies,” she said. Alupo also raised alarm over rampant cattle theft and the unchecked presence of illegal firearms, accusing security forces of silence and inaction.

“The business community is living in fear. Everyone is a target. The people of Bukedea need a voice and a leader who will speak out and demand action,” she added. She further criticized the lack of youth representation, attributing rising teenage pregnancies and unemployment to government neglect.

“No one is standing up for the youth. That’s why we see these alarming trends in early pregnancies and hopelessness. These are the issues I intend to address,” Alupo said.

The Bukedea Woman MP seat is currently held by Speaker of Parliament Annet Anita Among, who was controversially declared unopposed in the last election. Among has publicly questioned whether any challenger can bring meaningful change.

“Who is it that thinks she can change Bukedea? What will you bring that is new? Is it rain that I’ve been telling people about?” she asked during a recent engagement with constituents. Meanwhile, in the NRM camp, confusion persists. In June 2025, the party’s electoral commission chairman, Dr. Tanga Odoi, nullified the aspirations of Helen Odeke Akol because she does not reside in Kokonyele Village, Malera Sub-county—her husband’s registered location.

Akol, however, disputes this claim, saying her name was unlawfully removed from the NRM register in 2021 but later reinstated. “I collected nomination forms from the party after my name was cleared. I have since petitioned President Museveni, and I’m waiting on his directive,” Akol explained. With political temperatures rising in Bukedea, the contest for the district’s Woman MP seat is shaping up as a high-stakes battle between opposition contenders, NRM loyalists, and the formidable incumbent, Speaker Anita Among.