Nebbi, Uganda: Elders from the Greater Nebbi sub-region have issued a strong call for peace, reconciliation and unity, urging leaders and communities to overcome divisions and jointly pursue socio-economic transformation.
The appeal was made on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, during the Greater Nebbi Elders Council end-of-year gathering held at the Mayor’s Garden in Nebbi Municipality.
Addressing the meeting, the Chairperson of the Greater Nebbi Elders Council, Canon Vasco Kura, said unity and social cohesion remain critical if the sub-region is to build a strong cultural, social and political foundation.
Canon Kura noted that historical divisions between leaders and communities had weakened collective action, contributing to underdevelopment in the sub-region comprising Nebbi, Zombo and Pakwach districts.
“As the Elders Council of Greater Nebbi, our primary focus is to foster unity and development between leaders and communities by promoting peace and reconciliation among the population to ensure peaceful coexistence and progress,” Kura said.
He stressed the need for a united and formidable voice capable of championing the interests of the Greater Nebbi people, adding that the council’s mission is to promote and support the Greater Nebbi Development Agenda across all sectors through mutual trust and cooperation among stakeholders.
“We must remain united by our strong culture whose traditional hallmark is hard work, healthy competition for success, and love for our land,” he said.
Canon Kura also underscored the role of education in shaping generations committed to dialogue, tolerance, coexistence and the rejection of hate, discrimination and bigotry.
“As elders, it is time to nurture young people into productive, responsible citizens and future leaders by preserving cultural norms and values that promote humanity,” he added.
During the same gathering, Moses Beruchan, a resident of Kasuku Cell in Abindu Division, urged the Elders Council to focus on rebuilding Greater Nebbi not only physically, but emotionally, spiritually and socially.
He called on elders to intensify advocacy for improved health infrastructure, including upgrading Nebbi General Hospital to a Regional Referral Hospital, Pakwach Health Centre IV to hospital status, and Paidha Health Centre III to Health Centre IV to match the region’s growing population.
“Let us work together with a shared vision that includes everyone’s participation. We should not allow the past to keep us chained to old wounds, but heal together and build a future that makes Greater Nebbi proud,” Beruchan said.
The President of the Greater Nebbi Forum, Odongo Emilio, welcomed the formation of the Elders Council, saying it would help redefine the region’s development narrative.
He observed that development requires intentional leadership, which the sub-region has historically lacked, leaving elders largely absent from shaping critical policy and governance debates.
“For over 40 years under the NRM government, Greater Nebbi has never had a full Cabinet minister from the Alur sub-region. These are issues that need deliberate engagement, and we believe the Elders Council can now drive this agenda,” Emilio said.
Meanwhile, the Vice Chairperson of the Greater Nebbi Elders Council, Kakura Emmy Kizito, said the council’s vision is anchored on prosperity, peace and unity, calling on all stakeholders to play their part.
“With our diverse knowledge, experience and networks, we must choose hope, unity and justice, and stand up for the citizens as we confront past injustices together,” Kakura said.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative news platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp and on Twitter (X) for realtime updates.
