Nebbi, Uganda: The Baháʼí Faith has opened talks with the Alur Kingdom aimed at forging a partnership on community development initiatives, with a strong focus on strengthening the family as the foundation of society.
The engagement followed a meeting held last week at the Alur Kingdom Secretariat in Nebbi Municipality between a delegation from the Bahá’í Faith’s National Spiritual Assembly External Affairs Committee and representatives of the Alur Kingdom.
According to a statement issued by Alur Kingdom Communication Director David Rupiny, the meeting was chaired by Bob Opio Okech, the Minister for Culture and Legal Affairs, who represented the Kingdom Prime Minister.
The meeting followed a formal request submitted by the Bahá’í National Spiritual Assembly’s External Affairs team dated January 20, 2026.
During the engagement, the Bahá’í delegation, comprising collaborators from Nebbi and Kampala-based contact person George Olinga, introduced the Bahá’í Faith, founded by Bahá’u’lláh in the Middle East. The team outlined the faith’s emphasis on unity, social progress and collaboration with diverse stakeholders to promote family values, gender equity and community welfare.
They noted that the Bahá’í Faith has been present in Uganda since 1951, with its national headquarters located at Kikaya Hill in Kampala.
Officials from the Alur Kingdom, led by Ronnie Robert Rupiny, welcomed the delegation and presented an overview of the Kingdom’s governance structure and development agenda. The briefing highlighted leadership under Rwoth Ubimu (King) and Jadipu, supported by the Executive Committee, Council of Chiefs, Cabinet and Secretariat.
The Kingdom’s ongoing programmes were outlined, including initiatives supporting women and girls, child welfare, cultural preservation, poverty alleviation, livestock development, tea industry promotion, environmental conservation, population management and leadership development.
Discussions between the two sides centred on consulting on ways to collaborate in mainstreaming the family as the basic unit of society, exploring how culture and faith can jointly empower families, and benchmarking Ker Alur programmes that advance the welfare of women and girls.
The Bahá’í representatives commended the Alur Kingdom’s work and described it as a trusted and credible partner in West Nile, noting that it is the first traditional institution in the region they have approached for collaboration.
Both parties expressed mutual interest in formalising the partnership. It was agreed that the Bahá’í team will draft a Memorandum of Understanding for review by the Alur Kingdom, aligned with the Kingdom’s Charter and Strategic Plan 2030, and prepare a programme concept note to guide future joint projects.
The Alur Kingdom committed to sharing key operational documents and positive cultural resources, including insights from experienced chiefs and technical staff, to support programme design.
The visiting delegation also handed over three booklets addressing culture, gender and poverty for the Kingdom’s review. The two sides further agreed to convene a follow-up meeting within one to two months at the Alur Kingdom Secretariat to discuss the proposed MoU, concept note and work plans, with the Head of Programs tasked to prepare and circulate official minutes of the engagement.
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