By Mike Rwothomio

The Greater Nebbi Elders Council, operating through its legal arm Vurra Pa Judongo Foundation Ltd (VPJ), held a strategic high-level meeting on Monday, April 27, 2026, with technical officials from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), specifically the Northern Uganda Rehabilitation (NUR) division. 

The engagement aimed to chart a constructive path for accelerated development, peace-building, and social transformation in the Greater Nebbi sub-region.

This strategic engagement was held at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kampala, in the OPM Boardroom. The meeting was requested by the Elders Council on April 9, 2026, and coordinated under directives from the Under Secretary for Pacification and Development, brought together a 9-member delegation from the Council and OPM’s technical team.

Discussions centred on securing strategic support and institutional collaboration with the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development to deliver on the Council’s core mandate.

Key objectives of the engagement included presenting the Greater Nebbi Elders Council’s development agenda and seeking technical and institutional support for its implementation; strengthening partnerships with OPM to foster peace, prosperity, and responsible citizenry in Nebbi, Zombo, and Pakwach districts; and exploring avenues for collaboration in guiding development processes, peace-building, youth nurturing, and elderly wellness programmes.

The engagement represents a significant milestone in aligning the Elders Council’s community-driven initiatives with national government programmes for sustainable development in Greater Nebbi.

Vurra Pa Judongo Foundation Ltd (VPJ), the operational arm of the Greater Nebbi Elders Council, was legally incorporated on April 25, 2025, as a company limited by guarantee and registered with the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB).

Membership is restricted to individuals aged 60 years and above, who leverage their experience and wisdom to deliver practical, solutions-oriented interventions.

The Council maintains a physical office in Nebbi Municipality and has successfully established structures across the three districts of Greater Nebbi, Nebbi, Zombo, and Pakwach including all lower local governments .It is currently expanding its networks towards the national level.

The elders council's operations are anchored on four strategic pillars that complement government efforts: guiding the development agenda in Greater Nebbi, promoting a robust and accelerated approach to regional development, mediations and peace-building, and nurturing young people into responsible future leaders.

In March 2026, the Council rolled out mediation structures in all LLGs to deliver faster, integrated conflict resolution across the three districts.

Additional focus areas include attracting, training, and mentoring youth to develop world-class talent and become productive citizens, as well as developing simple, low-cost but effective elderly-centred health and wellness programmes.

The Council is guided by the values of determination, integrity, reliability, accountability, and collaboration, while upholding principles of independence, fairness and justice, political neutrality, and impartiality.

Recent Engagements and Future Plans

In recent weeks, the Elders Council held a productive engagement with the Nebbi Community Fraternity in Kampala on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at Reflector, Ntinda. 

Key outcomes included commitents to enhanced collaboration, better representation of Greater Nebbi people in Kampala and Entebbe, joint resource mapping, data collection on community members, and strategic partnership building with cultural leaders, politicians, youth, and other stakeholders.

Both parties agreed to work as strategic partners and plan a future retreat to deepen engagement.

Looking ahead, the Council intends to deepen collaboration with government MDAs, district and local governments, religious and cultural institutions, the private sector, civil society, academia, and the media. It also plans to expand its associate elders’ network, support strategic initiatives focused on uniting the people of Greater Nebbi, promote culture and socio-economic development, strengthen data-driven approaches to identify community resources, skills, and needs, and collectively advocate with youth and other stakeholders on pressing challenges including poverty, unemployment, insecurity, teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, poor health-seeking behaviour, and weak leadership representation.

The leadership of the Greater Nebbi Elders Council, chaired by Can. Kura Vasco, remains committed to fostering unity, peace, and inclusive development while maintaining a strictly apolitical and impartial stance.

Key officials from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) who participated included:Ssendi John – PAS/NUR  

Gerald Henry Ekinu – ACP/NUR  

Nyitho Patricia – CDO/NUR  

Ahimbisibwe Ronah – APO/P&D  

Bashaija – PDO/NUR

Officials from the Greater Nebbi Elders Council included:Canon Vasco Kura  

Emilio Odongo Wathum  

John Pascal Wapokra  

Dr. Jakor Oryema  

Elizabeth Nyivuru Jawoko  

Birombo Justine  

Mary Akwiya Anecho  

Uzelle Adam Mohammad  

Rev. Can. Christopher Onyuthi  

David Owino.

Officials from the OPM and members of Greater Nebbi elders council posed for a photo after the engagement.

Mike Rwothomio is the News Editor at Zoomer Africa, your trusted grassroots information hub for African stories, voices, and updates.