Alupo beaten by margin of over 5000 votes

Feb 19, 2016

Akurut was declared the victor after pulling 26,091 votes against Alupo's 20,720 votes: a margin of 5,371 votes

The returning officer Katakwi district Daniel Othieno this afternoon declared Violet Akurut Adome the NRM flag bearer as the winner for Katakwi district woman MP currently being occupied by education minister Jessica Alupo. 

Alupo first lost to Akurut during the NRM primaries and opted to contest as an independent candidate with the hope of retaining a seat she has kept for ten years but her dreams were shattered. 

Akurut was declared the victor after pulling 26,091 votes against Alupo's 20,720 votes: a margin of 5,371 votes. During the NRM primaries, Akurut defeated Alupo with a margin of 3009 votes. 

"I expected to win because my people assured me that they will give me support that they have fulfilled. I expect to uplift the education standard in the district, fight poverty at household level and empower women in the villages," a happy Akurut after being declared winner. 

Akurut explained that the current leadership lost touch with the common person in the village a gap she hopes to fill once sworn in in May. 

"I am going to be the servant of the people of Katakwi who shall lobby for the youth, vulnerable, women and elderly," Akurut said as she was being carried by her supporters shoulder high. 

Efforts to get a comment from Alupo were futile since she was reported to be busy in a meeting according to the lady who had her known mobile phone. 

In Usuk County, the outgoing Eastern Youth MP Peter Ogwang was declared a winner after defeating five other competitors yearning for that seat currently being occupied by the 9th parliament's youngest legislator Proscovia Alengot Oromait. 

Ogwang won with a landslide after securing 21,848 votes against his closest rival the FDC candidate Charles Okure who got 8,073 votes. 

"My key priorities are the youth, health and education. I also promise to continue supporting churches in my constituency," Ogwang said. 

Ogwang's political career started in Soroti where he was a youth Councillor before making a surprise entry into national politics as Eastern Youth MP. 

In Toroma County the incumbent Cyrus Amodoi Imalingat retained his seat after beating six other people vying for it. 

Amodoi got 6,511 votes against the NRM's Joseph Koluo who got 4994. Amodoi said he won simply because his work in the constituency was able to market him. 

"Despite the challenges that I faced in the first term, I was able show my people that I will be at their service. I fight for women's rights, education of the girl child and ignorance," Amodoi said. 

However Koluo has declined to concede defeat saying he was robbed of his victory. Koluo claims that Amodoi won because of bribing voters. 

"I am considering taking a legal action in this matter because Amodoi is not a genuine people's representative," Koluo argued. 

However the returning officer Katakwi described the election exercise in Katakwi as free and fair; "The exercise was calm and I did not register any case or compliant from any candidate". 

The RDC Katakwi, Philbert Ocailap said it's was the first violence-free election to be held in Katakwi and he attributed it to the vigilance of police. 

In the past elections people have been beaten and vehicles vandalized but that was not the case this time round. 

"Its surprising to many and Katakwi was named one of the hotspots but those who said so are very surprised," Ocailap said.

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