KAMPALA.
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Electoral Commission has ordered fresh elections in Kapchorwa District due to reported widespread electoral irregularities.
According to Mr Tanga Odoi , the chairperson of NRM Electoral Commission ,the affected constituencies include; Kapchorwa Municipality, Tingey County, and Kapchorwa Woman MP.
He said his office has already received formal complaints and evidence of massive voter bribery, intimidation, falsification of results, and manipulation of the tallying process during last Thursday polls .
“The election in Kapchorwa district was mismanaged by our staff, who were involved in corruption, failed to follow electoral guidelines, and in some cases, did not even read out the results,” Mr Odoi said during a press conference at the party headquarters on Sunday
Mr Odoi said the date for conducting fresh elections will be announced soon.
“We found that the process in these constituencies was not free and fair. The Commission has therefore nullified the elections and will organise a fresh process,” he said.
One of the aspirants for Kapchorwa Municipality MP, Mr. Martin Chemonges, welcomed the decision, stating that the entire process was rigged.
“I am happy that the election has been nullified. The entire process was rigged. People shamelessly celebrated after stealing votes, and there was no proper tallying of results at all,” he said.
Mr Chemonges added that the nullification gives voters another chance to make their voices count through a free and fair process.
The nullification comes amid ongoing investigations involving the NRM district registrar in Kapchorwa, who was arrested by police over allegations of electoral malpractice.
Sipi Region Police Spokesperson, Fredrick Chesang, confirmed that the registrar was found with a large sum of money and is suspected of manipulating results in favor of specific candidates.
“Preliminary findings suggest the registrar declared winners who did not actually win. He claims the money was meant to pay village registrars, but we are investigating its actual purpose,” Chesang said.
According to information on the ground, some of the declared winners received more votes than the total number of registered voters in the district, raising serious concerns about the credibility of the election results.