Cecilia Ogwal’s Daughter Defeated in Dokolo By-election

✳ UPC Aguti 23,044
✳ NRM Adongo 14,001
✳ FDC Ogwal 8,168
✳ Ind Akullo 790
✳ NUP Ageno 727
✳ Ind Alao 439

Sarah Aguti of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party, is the new District Woman Member of Parliament for Dokolo, according to the final results released by the Uganda Electoral Commission.

She had 23,044 votes, with the runner up from NRM polling only 14,001 votes.

She beat five others candidates in the by-election.  They are Dr. Rosemary Alwoc Ogwal, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party flag bearer who is also the daughter of the deceased MP, Janet Rose Adongo Elau of NRM, Harriet Ageno of the National Unity Platform (NUP), Dr. Esther Akullo Obot Otada and Rebecca Arao- both independents.

Votes were counted amidst tight security.  The Police struggled to counter allegations of voter bribery, vote stuffing and violence that emerged in the afternoon. Major complaints were from the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC).

The FDC camp pointed fingers at the security team in Dokolo for allegedly arresting three of their supporters including two personal assistants to the party president, Patrick Oboi Amuriat. The group was reportedly apprehended over alleged theft of one million shillings at Bata Town Council on Wednesday night.

On Thursday morning, the party raised concerns of missing numbers in the Declaration of Results (DR) forms in Dokolo Primary School Polling Station and Angwecibange Polling Stations A, B and C.

But Moses Attan Okia, one of the supervisors in the FDC camp says that the election has relatively been peaceful and calm with minor incidences.

Although the UPC party raised concerns of voter bribery and vote stuffing in some polling stations, their candidate, Aguti said that the exercise was calm.

During polls, the UPC party President, Jimmy James Akena said that the money had exchanged hands with each village allegedly receiving 200,000 shillings from the ruling NRM party through the RDCs. However, when the Police asked Akena to record the statement on the matter, he declined.

Sebastian Oswin Oguti, the RDC of Lamwo who had been deployed in Amwoma Sub County says that complaints from the opposition parties are meant to seek unsolicited attention.

*SOURCE – THE INDEPENDENT & URN*

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