As the Soroti East byelection race intensifies, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) travelled to Soroti city on Friday to drum up support for the ruling party's flagbearer, Herbert Edmond Ariko.

Ariko is vying for the Soroti East parliamentary seat with Moses Attan of the Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and Pascal Amuriat of the Uganda People's Congress (UPC).

The seat fell vacant after the Court of Appeal nullified the election of Attan as MP and ordered for a by-election on grounds that the demarcation of the boundaries within the constituency had not been properly done.

NRM vice-chairperson for eastern Capt. Mike Mukula (left) and PM Robinah Nabbanja flash the thumbs up sign in Soroti city on Friday, July 22

Candidates are now racing against time to canvass for support ahead of the July 28 byelection.

In the NRM camp, Nabbanja arrived in Soroti six days before polling day to bolster the party's quest for the position.

She was received by Capt. Mike Mukula, the NRM vice-chairperson for the eastern region, and other party officials.

The Prime Minister has joined other top NRM leaders, including Rosemary Seninde, the director for mobilization.

NRM party spokesperson Rogers Mulindwa, director for finance and administration Madinah Nahamya and NRM district leaders are also in Soroti working to ensure that their candidate comes out on top in next week's byelection.

Both Ariko and Attan took part in the 2021 parliamentary election, where the FDC candidate got 7,606 votes while Ariko garnered 7,167 votes.

Soroti East constituency has over 35,000 registered voters, 13 wards, 84 cells and 63 polling stations, according to the Electoral Commission.