Sebei Elgon Co-operative Union (SECU) delegates will today (Friday) elect their new chairperson.

Voting will take place at Factory Hall in Kapchorwa.

Only eligible SECU delegates from within the sub-region’s three districts - Kapchorwa, Bukwo and Kween - will take part in the exercise.

Kapchorwa district has 41 societies, Bukwo has 21 and Kween has 10.

For the election, the 72 societies will be represented by 216 delegates. Each society will be represented by three delegates.

The registered voters have five candidates to choose from for the 2022-2026 term.

They are incumbent Emmy Soyekwo, philanthropist Stephen Herold Sabila and social activist George Kiprotich.

Others are senior Police officer Moses Kubarika and renowned farmer and businessman Issa Satya.

Related story: https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/four-vie-for-sebei-elgon-cooperative-union-to-143844)

Weeks leading to the polls, the candidates canvassed the entirety of Sebei convincing the delegates into their ideologies.

Overseeing macro-operations of the farmers’ entity and activities of the executive committees, which will be formed after the elections, will be the mandatory obligations of the SECU chairperson.

'Champion peace'

The Ministry of Trade, Industries and Co-operatives presides over the election, with support from the District Commercial Officers of Bukwo (Tom Toskin), Kween (Silvester Bomet) and Kapchorwa (Justin Jims Yeko).

Yeko, who hosts the Friday vote, told New Vision all was set for SECU to decide.

“Our call to both candidates and the delegates is to champion peace during and after the election," he told New Vision in the lead-up to the election.

Security agencies led by the Police will be deployed to ensure the ballot safety measures before, during and after the election.

“We shall play our part in securing law and order from start to finish,” said Fredmark Chesang, the Sipi zonal Police spokesperson.

The election is crucial for SECU in its bid to regain its lost glory to continue supporting farmers across Sebei sub-region. 

The union was formed in 1923 and is situated in the central business district of Kapchorwa Municipality.

Currently, SECU deals in coffee, maize, and barley.