By Leonard Kamugisha Akida and Anitah Ashemereirwe,
OYAM
The Electoral Commission on Tuesday closed the nomination exercise of candidates for Oyam North county Member of Parliament by-election.
According to Richard Onabe, the Oyam district registrar, four candidates have been declared nominated to contest for the election due next month.
𝙐𝙋𝘿𝘼𝙏𝙀: The nomination of candidates for by-election of Member of Parliament for Oyam County North Constituency, Oyam District, has closed today, Tuesday 20th June, 2023, with four candidates cleared to contest:@PaulBukenya #OyamNorthByElection
1/2 pic.twitter.com/8mhAENeqqO
— The Electoral Commission – Uganda (@UgandaEC) June 20, 2023
The nominated candidates are Dr. Okello Newton Freddy (FDC), Dr. Apio Eunice Otuko (UPC), Samuel Engola Okello (NRM) and Daniel Okello (NUP). They were all nominated on the opening day, yesterday Monday 19th, 2023.
Although more other candidates were expected to turn up for nomination on closing day, they did not make it prompting the commission to close the exercise at the official time 5pm.
Reports indicate that the two independent candidates namely Amolo Queen Dorothy and Willy Omodo Omodo have withdrawn from the race in favour of the NRM candidate, Samuel Engola Okello after stiff talks with party strongholds.
The Oyam North county seat fell vacant in May after the brutal murder of the area MP Col. Charles Okello Engola, state minister for labour who was shot dead by his bodyguard Pte Wilson Sabiiti in Kisaasi Kyanja, a Kampala suburb.
The duly nominated candidates are according to the EC expected to start official campaigns on Thursday 22nd June to 4th July, 2023. The electoral roadmap shared with the candidates and the media further indicates that the polling date is July 6.
Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama, the EC chairperson has forewarned all candidates to desist from holding unscheduled campaigns contrary to what is on the electoral roadmaps.
