By Frank Kamuntu
Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) candidate, Dr Eunice Otuko Apio has been declared the winner of Oyam North parliamentary by-election.
She won with 15,718 votes, about 49.12 percent of the total votes cast while her closest contender, Mr Samuel Engola Okello Junior of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) polled 15,176, or 47.38 percent. The total votes cast from 167 polling stations were 32,751, or 36.10 percent of the total registered voters.
The other two candidates; Democratic Party’s Freddy Newton Okello polled 714 votes while National Unity Platform’s Daniel Okello scored the least with 403 votes.
There were 93,733 registered voters in eight sub-counties and town council that make up Oyam County North Constituency. Spoiled votes were 37 while invalid votes were 755, or 2.31 percent.
This election was a result of the death of former MP Charles Okello Macodwogo Engola, who was killed by his bodyguard on May 2, 2023, at his home in Kyanja, Kampala.
In this same election, police arrested 15 suspects in connection to the chaos that was reported during the polling exercise.
According to the Kyoga region police spokesperson Jimmy Patrick Okema, these include a group that was riding motorcycles to reportedly escort ballot boxes to polling stations.
He says 14 motorcycles were also impounded and will be released after the conclusion of the election exercise.
The others were arrested for alleged voter bribery and intimidation during the election exercise.
