The NRM Vice Chairman for Karamoja, the late Hon. Simon Peter Aleper, has finally been laid to rest in Kangole town council, Napak district, after several days of mourning. Aleper died last week in a road accident in Iganga.
Amidst grief and a sober mood to thousands of friends and family, Aleper’s casket was lowered into the grave a few minutes to 6 PM. Officers of the Uganda Police Force accorded him a 12-gun salute.
Earlier during the requiem service at Kangole boys’ primary school, President Yoweri Museveni, who is also the NRM National Chairman, in a written statement read by the Vice President, H.E. Jessica Alupo, conveyed, on behalf of the government, the NRM party, and on his behalf, heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the bereaved family, the people of Karamoja, and all Ugandans.
“It is my prayer that the Almighty God grants the family the fortitude and courage to go through this trying moment,” the President said.
Mr. Museveni reassured Aleper’s family of the NRM support since “they have been deprived of a breadwinner. The NRM is a big clan, and therefore the children of Hon. Aleper will not be orphaned.”
The President described the former legislator for Moroto Municipality as a very resourceful leader. “He contributed to the unity and development of Karamoja, a region that previously was neglected until the NRM came into power,” Museveni said.
The NRM Chairman revealed that the party has lost a loyal cadre and great mobilizer. The NRM is, however, privileged to have been associated with a carder of Aleper’s calibre and vision. “The party shall remain indebted to him for the invaluable service which he rendered in the country.”
Al Hajji Moses Kigongo, the NRM First Vice Chairman, who was represented by Capt. Mike Mukula, praised the late as “an open-minded person, a dedicated servant, trustworthy, a timekeeper, and a consistent leader in whatever he was involved in. We shall always be grateful for the faithfulness you exhibited in serving our party, our country at large.”
He commiserated with the people of Karamoja for the great loss of "a statesman.".
The NRM Secretary General, Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong, committed that the Secretariat will keep honouring the legacy, goals, and aspirations of the departed Vice Chairman.
“We shall stand together to support the family during these difficult times and other days to come because they remain so dear to us,” Todwong said.
He asked the government to speed up the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident until the culprit is apprehended.
Aleper’s wife and children heaped praise on the late, as one after another described him as a good father, an educationist, a family man who loved and served God.