The Power Behind Calvin Ecodu and the Political Intrigue in Teso Sub-Region

The political machinery supporting Calvin Ecodu is anchored in the influence of powerful national actors, notably the Vice President of Uganda, Rtd. Maj. Jessica Alupo (MP), and Lt. Gen. Charles Angina. Additional support is derived from other political figures such as Oceger. However, the emergence of Ecodu is not merely a reflection of grassroots appeal; rather, it signals the intensifying fault lines and strategic maneuvering within the broader political terrain of Teso.

At the heart of this growing tension is Vice President Jessica Alupo, whose leadership approach has contributed significantly to the weakening of the once-cohesive Teso Parliamentary Group (TPG). Her longstanding political fallout with the late Hon. Bishop Patrick Okabe (RIP), the then-chairman of the TPG, triggered a crisis in regional coordination. Following Okabe’s death, Alupo installed her cousin, Hon. Okiror from Katakwi, to the chairmanship. Yet since his appointment, Okiror has neither convened nor led a single substantial meeting or initiative under the TPG banner—leaving the group directionless and fractured.

Alupo’s political influence remains deeply entrenched within her home district of Katakwi, where she actively participates in micro-level politics but appears disengaged from efforts to unify and strategically steer the wider Teso sub-region. Her leadership has increasingly been viewed as self-serving and divisive. A case in point is her protracted rivalry with Hon. Peter Ogwang (MP, Ngariam County), a youthful and energetic politician. Alupo is believed to have covertly supported two challengers—Dan Mulalu and Otuko—in an attempt to unseat Ogwang and weaken his growing political capital.

Tensions have also emerged between Alupo and the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among. Though not openly declared, their rivalry has permeated key political institutions and power centers, contributing to a climate of distortion and uncertainty in the national and regional political calculus.

A key moment of visible divergence came when Capt. Mike Mukula, NRM Vice Chairman for Eastern Uganda, was invited by Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba and the leadership of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) to launch the organization in Naguru. Mukula, speaking passionately in support of Gen. Muhoozi and President Museveni, underscored his firm alignment with the official succession framework of the NRM. This move did not sit well with Vice President Alupo and her political allies backing Calvin Ecodu, who are increasingly seen as positioning themselves outside the mainstream of the current succession consensus.

More significantly, Alupo is said to be quietly maneuvering herself into a future succession equation. Her growing ambitions—executed subtly but persistently—have placed her at odds not only with Gen. Muhoozi but also with key figures within the UPDF and the strategic core of the NRM. Her close alliance with Lt. Gen. Elwelu and open disdain for the CDF, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, and the PLU leadership, adds a layer of military-political complexity to the already tense landscape.

Underlying all this is a growing concern among political insiders about the influx of foreign influence, particularly from American interests. Substantial external funding is reportedly flowing into political structures—including within the NRM itself—with the potential to distort internal dynamics and derail the intended succession roadmap. This influx of foreign capital is not neutral; it appears strategically targeted to weaken state-aligned actors and foster alternative political centers under the guise of democratic competition.

In sum, the rise of Calvin Ecodu is symptomatic of a broader struggle for control in Teso—one shaped by elite fragmentation, succession battles, regional rivalries, and foreign interference. The situation demands sober leadership and deliberate unity to preserve not just the regional equilibrium, but the broader political stability of Uganda.