Three cleared for Bukedea LC V Chairperson race

Bukedea, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Electoral Commission (EC) has officially nominated three candidates for the Bukedea LCV Chairperson by-election. They are Sam Oita from the opposition Forum for Democratic-FDC, Mary Akol from the ruling National Resistance Movement-NRM, and Tychicus Lokwiisk Ebukalim, an Independent NRM-leaning candidate.

Oita is an accountant and former aspirant for Bukedea County in the 2021 general election. Akol has been serving as the caretaker of the Bukedea LCV Chairperson’s office following the passing of her predecessor, Moses Olemukan. The third candidate, Ebukalim Okwi, is the former Bukedea district council speaker and the son of the late Rev. Sam Ebukalim, the first Bukedea LCV Chairperson.

The nominations were conducted by Suleiman Kato, the new Returning Officer deployed by the EC for the by-election, instead of Raymond Kisarale, the Bukedea District Returning Officer. According to Paul Bukenya, the EC Spokesman, four other individuals picked nomination forms for the Bukedea LCV Chairperson by-election.

They are Pius Edekeny and David Stephen Omagor as Independents, Paul Okiria from the National Unity Platform (NUP), and Salim Okwii from the Uganda Peoples’ Congress (UPC). Omagor, who was scheduled for nomination on Monday, failed to appear after allegedly being attacked by uniformed men on Sunday night. He has since reached an understanding with EC officials in the district, and his nomination has been rescheduled for today at 2:00 pm.

The police have opened an inquiry into the alleged raid of one of the Bukedea LCV Chairperson’s aspirants, as reported by Oscar Gregg Ageca, the East Kyoga Regional Police Spokesman. The regional police officers will document their findings in due course. The Bukedea LCV by-election was triggered by the passing of Moses Olemukan in December, due to liver complications.

Olemukan, a member of the NRM, had left the party after losing in the primaries in 2020 but secured his second term by defeating the party’s flag bearer.  As per the EC’s roadmap, the nominated candidates will engage in campaign meetings for six days, from June 7th to 12th, 2023.

Additionally, the Commission is conducting polls for the District Directly-elected Councilor for Bukedea Sub County, the Sub County Woman Councilor for Mukongoro in Aligoi Sub County, and the Sub County Directly-elected Councilor for Kotiokot Parish in Kabarwa Sub County. These lower local government positions fell vacant after the occupants resigned for better opportunities.