Moroto – August 13, 2025:
Denis Opio Elia, a contender for the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) flag in the Moroto County parliamentary race, has rallied strong support from party delegates, making his bid look increasingly unchallenged ahead of the UPC primaries slated for August 16, 2025.
On Wednesday, Opio Elia held strategic engagements with UPC delegates from Akura Sub-county, Aloi Town Council, and Aloi Sub-county, where he received overwhelming endorsements. Local party structures praised his commitment to revitalizing Moroto’s voice in Parliament, which they say has long been silent.
“The people of Moroto have missed out on proper representation,” Opio Elia told the gathering. “Their current leader has been absent in times of need. When lives were lost in places like Abia and Akura, there was no one to speak up in Parliament. Meanwhile, others were compensated, like in Barlonyo.”
He criticized what he termed as the incumbent’s failure to advocate for the community, especially on issues like compensation for victims of conflict and cattle raids. “Many residents still haven’t received their cattle compensation, simply because the MP supposed to be their voice chose to remain silent,” he said.
Opio Elia also rallied support for UPC’s national leadership, stating, “Jimmy Akena Obote will be on the 2026 presidential ballot, and the support he is receiving across the country is overwhelming.”
Positioning himself as a grassroots candidate ready for the campaign trail, Opio Elia declared he is the right man to carry the UPC flag for Moroto County. “I have walked with the people, and I know their needs. I am ready to represent them,” he said.
The show of support from the delegates suggests that the August 16 UPC primaries may be a formality in Moroto, with Opio Elia poised to emerge as the party’s flag bearer with little or no opposition.
In addition to parliamentary candidates, the UPC will also select its flag bearers for the Local Council V chairperson positions in the same primaries.
