Slow start in voting as Omoro County elects MP
Electoral Commission officials wait to open a ballot box at Adak PS polling station at around 8:29am on May 26, 2022 during a parliamentary by-election. PHOTO/TOBBIAS JOLLY OWINY
What you need to know:
- Omoro County electorates bid to replace their former legislator, late Jacob Oulanyah, who served the constituency from 2001 to 2005 and then from 2011 until his death.
Polling officials in Omoro observed a slow start as the county Thursday voted to replace ex-legislator Jacob Oulanyah.
The Electoral Commission (EC) set 7:00am for voting to start but by 8:28am, the 10 voters and party agents required to be present for EC to open the ballot boxes were still absent at many polling stations including at Opit Trading Centre.
“The voting materials and equipment including ourselves were here by 6:00am but we had to wait for the others to come first. But we are hopeful that the turn up will improve steadily as the day goes,” polling Assistant Ms Nancy Anena said.
At Corner Lakwaya Polling Station in Lakwaya Sub County, the polling assistants and agents were just opening ballot boxes at around 8:17am.
At Awalkok Polling Station in Lalogi Sub County, agents of candidates had arrived by 8:20am but voting delayed as much as polling agents.
“The exercise is likely to progress slowly until about midday since many people prefer to do garden work before turning up to vote,” another polling assistant Ms Vicky Amony said.
Our reporters in the Omoro County observed that only two polling stations at Lokwii PS commenced voting by 8am.
Timely delivery
Mr Moses Kagona, the Omoro District Returning Officer said “they finished dispersing the voting materials to 84 different polling stations in Omoro County for the by-election before 7:00.”
Electoral Commission (EC) officials indicate that 38,638 people are set to vote today.
On Thursday,EC spokesperson Mr Paul Bukenya told journalists that “election officials and supervisors have been deployed to the respective polling stations with additional backup of supervisors from Kampala.”
According to Mr Bukenya, each polling station will be manned by a prison warder and polling officials will use biometric machines.
Omoro County electorates bid to replace their former legislator, late Jacob Oulanyah, who served the constituency from 2001 to 2005 and then from 2011 until his death.
Six candidates including NUP’s flag bearer Mr Toolit, NRM’s Ojok Oulanyah, FDC’s Justine Odong, and the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) flag bearer Mr Oscar Kiiza.
The other two independent candidates are Mr Terrence Odonga (FDC-leaning) and Mr Jimmy Walter Onen (NRM-leaning).
*Written by Tobbias Jolly Owiny, Marko Taibot and Teddy Dokotho
