Dokolo by-election: Vote counting underway 

Counting of votes is underway in Dokolo district amidst tight security.

The by-election attracted six candidates; Dr Rosemary Alwoc Ogwal, the FDC party flag bearer who is also the daughter of the deceased MP, Sarah Aguti of UPC, Janet Rose Adongo Elau of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), Harriet Ageno of the National Unity Platform (NUP), Dr Esther Akullo Obot Otada and Rebecca Arao – both independents.

Police have been struggling 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 the alleged theft of Shs 1 million at Bata town council on Wednesday night.

Today Thursday morning, the party raised concerns about missing numbers in the declaration of results (DR) forms at 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.

“So what we have experienced, there has not been any major arrest deliberately on the front of defaulting the rules of the game. Nothing. But we also have resilient overzealous cadres who think they can take the law in their hands, arrest somebody [then] dump them in police. [Then] police finds no reason to keep the person [in prison]. So that is what we experienced… But what we experienced…is uncalled for, people to cover numberplates and then move with pangas,” said Okia.

Although UPC raised concerns about voter bribery and vote stuffing in some polling stations, their candidate, Sarah Aguti said that the exercise has been calm. During polls, the UPC president, Jimmy James Akena said that the money had exchanged hands with each village allegedly receiving Shs 200,000 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.

“There was earlier on an allegation that came that there were pre-ticked ballots that were kept at the station, but I want to categorically state that there is nothing as such and that is really a serious distortion of the whole process that we have been having since morning until now,” said Oguti.

At the time of filing this report, ballot papers from the polling stations were being taken to the tally centre at the District Council Hall.