Omoro elections heat up

Omoro, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Candidates who were successfully nominated to contest for the Omoro County Parliamentary seat are meeting to harmonise their campaign programmes ahead of campaigns that kick off on Monday, May 16, 2022.

The Omoro County Parliamentary seat fell vacant after the death of the former Speaker of Parliament Jacob L’Okori Oulanyah on March 20 in Seattle, USA. The race to find his successor has now attracted six candidates who were duly nominated by the Electoral Commission over the last two days. Five of the 11 aspirants who had shown interest in the seat did not show up for nomination.

The candidates are Simon Toolit Akecha from the National Unity Platform-NUP, Andrew Ojok Oulanyah- a candidate for the ruling National Resistance Movement-NRM Party, Justin Odong Obiya who was endorsed by the Forum for Democratic Change, Oscar Kizza of the Alliance for National Transformation-ANT and independent candidates Jimmy Walter Onen, and Terrence Odonga.

Moses Kagona, the Omoro District Returning Officer told Uganda Radio Network in an interview that the nomination exercise was successful and urged both the candidates, voters, and EC officials to play their rightful roles in ensuring the by-election ends smoothly.

Kagona says the nominated candidates are expected to harmonize their campaign schedules today before public campaigns kick off on Monday, May 16. He notes that the meeting will help to avoid the candidates from clashing during campaigns.

The parliamentary aspirants who didn’t turn up for nomination are Cana Brian, the flag bearer of Justice Forum (JEEMA), Isaac Ojok, Eric Lajul, Jolly Grace Okot, and Andrew Okot all independent candidates.

Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission also nominated five District Woman Councilors for Lakwaya/Lalogi and one candidate for the Male Councilor representing Older Persons in Acet Town Council.

The nominated candidates for the District Woman Councilor position 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.  Meanwhile, Terrence Oryema was nominated unopposed as the Male councilor representing older persons in Acet Town Council.

The parliamentary polls for members of parliament and the District Woman Councilor for Lalogi/Lakwaya will be held on May 26.

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