Omoro By-election: Absence of Voters Delays Start of Polls

The by-election in Omoro County has been delayed across the 84 polling stations due to the low turnup of voters.

In several polling stations visited by Uganda Radio Network this morning, polls had not yet commenced by 8 am due to the absence of the mandatory ten voters to witness opening of the ballot boxes.

By 7:17 am, voting at Adak Primary School Polling station in Lakwaya Sub-county with 668 registered voters had not yet kicked off as the polling officials were still waiting for voters to witness the ballot boxes.

Christine Eyu, the Nwoya District Returning officer who is supervising the by-election in Lakwaya says although the polling materials were delivered early enough by 6:30 am, voting could not start because there were no voters. 

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The situation was not different at Corner Lakwaya Polling station in Lakwaya Sub-county with 834 registered voters were by 7: 25 am, voting hadn’t yet started. 

Nancy Anena, the Polling assistant at the polling station told URN in an interview that a handful of the registered voters had turned up to witness the ballot box opening before voting could start.

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At Awalkok polling station also in Lakwaya Sub-county, no registered voter had shown up at the polling station by 7:50 am. Vicky Amony, the Presiding officer at the Polling station noted that they were still waiting for the first ten registered voters to arrive before polls commence.

At Ajuri primary school in Lalogi Sub-county where Andrew Ojok Oulanyah, the NRM flag bearer in the Parliamentary race is expected to cast his vote less than 20 voters had turned up by 8:30 am out of the 391 registered voters.

Andrew Oyat the presiding officer says many voters are still attending to garden works.

Meanwhile by 7:41 am voting had started at Aket Ket Primary School polling station in Lakwana Sub-county which has 384 voters according to Denis Wokorach, the presiding officer.

Walter Akena, a resident of Lakwaya Sub-county says the low turn up of voters is due to the farming season. He says the majority of the voters are farmers who are attending to their gardens before coming to vote.

The Omoro County Parliamentary By-election has attracted six candidates.  They are Simon Toolit Akecha, National Unity Platform flag bearer, Andrew Ojok Oulanyah, National Resistance Movement-NRM party flag bearer, Oscar Kizza, and Alliance for National Transformation party flag bearer. 

Others are Justine Odong, Forum for Democratic Change party flag bearer, Terrence Odonga, and Jimmy Walter Onen all independent candidates.

Five other candidates are in the race to fill the District Woman Councilor position. The candidates are Florence Lalam, NRM, Christine Topista Anek, Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) Party flag bearer, Mercy Ayoo, FDC flag bearer, Margret Labol, NUP flag bearer, and Franka Lawino an independent.

A total of 38,638 registered voters are expected to cast their votes today for a candidate to fill the Omoro County Parliamentary seat that fell vacant on March 20 following the death of former speaker of Parliament Jacob L’Okori Oulanyah.