Alebtong District Woman MP Hopeful Janet Akello Omara Orech Unveils Ambitious Cocoa & Industrialization Plan for Alebtong

By Our Reporter

Alebtong, May 4, 2025– In a sweeping bid to overhaul Alebtong’s agrarian economy, aspiring Woman MP Janet Akello Omara Orech has ignited a dual agricultural and industrial revolution, distributing over 35,000 seedlings to churches and unveiling plans for a cocoa factory and youth-focused manufacturing hub. The multi-pronged initiative, hailed as a game-changer for northern Uganda, underscores her campaign mantra: “Development Beyond Politics.”  

At a vibrant ceremony in Alebtong Town Council on Monday.4th.May.2025, Akello kickstarted a week-long drive to distribute 15,000 cocoa and coffee seedlings and 20,000 pine seedlingsto churches, schools, and vulnerable farmers. “Churches are not just spiritual homes they can be economic powerhouses,” she asserted, detailing how cocoa trees, yielding up to 5kg of beans annually at UGX 40,000/kg, could generate UGX 200,000 per tree yearly for decades.  

The initiative builds on her 20-year legacy of promoting drought-resistant crops like Epuripur sorghum and high-yield maize, which revolutionized farming in Lango, Acholi, and Mid-Western Uganda. “We’ve seen agribusiness boom here since 2004. Now, Alebtong will lead,” she said.  

In a landmark announcement, Akello revealed that 5 acres of land in Alebtong Town Council have been secured for a UGX multi-billion cocoa processing factory. The facility, slated for completion by 2026, aims to curb post-harvest losses, boost farmer profits, and create jobs in packaging, transport, and export. “Why sell raw beans to middlemen when we can produce chocolate here?” she posed.  

The factory aligns with her pledge to distribute 5 million cocoa seedlings by 2026, enough to cover 11,000+ acres. “Imagine Alebtong as Uganda’s cocoa capital,” she urged, flanked by cheering farmers.  

Beyond agriculture, Akello announced a state-of-the-art business complex to produce bar soap, smearing oil, and shoes, targeting 5,000 jobs for youth. “Unemployment fuels poverty. We’re turning Alebtong into a production hub,” she said, emphasizing partnerships with vocational institutes for skills training.  

To ensure success, Akello’s team has dispatched agricultural officers to train farmers in nursery management, pest control, and marketing all free of charge. “We won’t leave anyone behind,” she pledged, urging churches with idle land to register for seedlings. Reverend Grace Atim of Alebtong Catholic Church hailed the move: “This is our ticket to self-reliance.”  

With the 2026 polls looming, Akello framed her bid as a referendum on development, citing her role in the 2006/2011 RALNUC Project, which rehabilitated roads and introduced cassava and sesame to combat food insecurity. “Alebtong deserves leaders who deliver shovels, not slogans,” she declared, taking a veiled jab at rivals.