The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Lamwo, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Molly Lanyero, the incumbent Lamwo District Woman Member of Parliament has opted for a legal battle over alleged irregularities in the January 2021 general election. Lanyero, a candidate for the ruling National Resistance Movement-NRM, lost the seat to an independent candidate Nancy Achora.
Lanyero polled 12,846, behind Achora who had 16,990 votes, according to results announced by the Electoral Commission returning officer Samuel Olet. But she insists that the elections were marred with gross electoral violence, intimidation, and vote-rigging which affected the outcome of the process. Lanyero told Uganda Radio Network in an interview on Tuesday that she isn’t convinced her opponent won fairly adding that she is already in the process of filing a petition to challenge the election results.
She accuses the Lamwo Resident District Commissioner Nabinson James Kidega and the Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Minister also Lamwo County legislator Hillary Obaloker Onek of meddling in the January 14th polls. Lanyero alleges that her team including polling agents and campaign teams were intimidated, threatened while some were illegally arrested prior to the election and on election day.
Lanyero says she is putting together pieces of her evidence and consulting the lawyers on the actions of the security forces in regards to electoral violence in the recent elections before filing it in the high court. Under section 60 of the Parliamentary election act of 2005, every election petition shall be filed within 30 days after the day on which the results of the election are published in the gazette.
Two weeks ago following the complaints raised by Lanyero on electoral offences, the police arrested the Resident District Commissioner Nabinson Kidega and briefly detained him at Lamwo Central Police Station before being released on police bond. The arrest was sanctioned by the Commissioner of Police Francis Olugu, who is overseeing electoral offences investigation in Acholi Sub-region.
Kidega, however, denied the allegations against him in an interview with Uganda Radio Network adding that on a fateful day, he didn’t cross any polling station.
He also refuted claims that he was compromised to favour the independent candidate Achora who emerged victoriously in the elections.
Aswa River Region Police Spokesperson Jimmy Patrick Okema says investigation against Kidega on electoral offences are still ongoing. Okema says details of the ongoing investigation will be readily availed to the press once the investigation is complete.
“It’s true the police are still actively investigating the RDC in regards to allegations against him. The chief investigating officer has been on the ground in Lamwo,” He told URN in a telephone interview.
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