Museveni picks Oulanyah's son to represent NRM in Omoro by-election
Mr Andrew Ojok, one of the deceased former Speaker Jacob Oulanyah’s sons
President Museveni who doubles as the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) chairman has directed that the party flag for Omoro County by-election be given to Andrew Ojok Oulanyah, the son of the late Speaker Jacob Oulanyah.
This was after the NRM aspirants and leaders failed to agree on the choice of a sole candidate to carry the party’s flag in the by-election.
"The decent thing to do is to let one of the children of Oulanyah stand in for him, for the remaining four years because if Oulanyah had not died, we would not have elections in Omoro until 2026. Whether he becomes useful or useless, we shall see. That's not the end of the world. If he doesn't perform it's not the end of the world," Mr Museveni said during the meeting at his country home in Rwakitura.
At least six party members had expressed interest to contest in the Omoro County Parliamentary seat that fell vacant following Oulanyah’s demise.
The aspirants included Omoro District Chairperson Douglas Peter Okello, Andrew Olal, Francis Rwotlonyo, Richard Bongowat Luganya, and Ben Acellam.
Oulanyah’s family members following his demise had demanded that his 32-year-old son Ojok be fronted unopposed to finish his father’s term in Parliament. The move was however, greeted with resistance among the aspirants and some members of the NRM party in the region.
In a meeting between the aspirants and the president last night, Mr Museveni is said to have ordered all NRM contestants to step down for Ojok.
The electoral commission has set May 26, 2022 as the date for Omoro County Parliamentary by-election.
Oulanyah was the Omoro County MP from 2001 to 2005 and then from 2011 until his death.
The law
Section 3(1) (a, b, c) stipulates that whenever an MP dies, or where the seat of an MP becomes vacant under Article 83 of the Constitution, or where the seat of a member becomes vacant under Section 4, the Clerk to Parliament shall notify the Commission in writing within 10 days after the vacancy has occurred; and a by-election shall, subject to Section 95, be held within 60 days after the vacancy has occurred.
