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Close to 100,000 voters are expected to take part in today's (March 21, 2024) byelection in Dokolo district.

The byelection is meant to replace fallen Woman Member of Parliament Cecilia Ogwal who passed on early this year.

EC and the Uganda Police Force on Wednesday said they were ready for the election in which 95,683 registered voters are expected to take part in.

North Kyoga Police region spokesperson Patrick Jimmy Okema said they had deployed heavily to ensure peaceful polls and urged the public to maintain law and order.

EC chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama told a pre-polls meeting at Dokolo district headquarters that they are ready to conduct the poll in 173 polling stations in the 14 sub-counties and town councils of Dokolo.

Candidate withdraws from race

Byabakama said the EC returning officer received a notice of withdrawal of candidate Grace Anna Lalam from the race after the ballot papers had been printed.

He, therefore, urged the voters to ignore her while casting their votes because a ballot cast in her names shall be considered invalid.

Six candidates are now remaining in the race including Sarah Aguti Nyangkori of the Uganda People's Congress (UPC), Janet Adongo Rose Elau of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), Dr Rosemary Alwoc Ogwal of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and Harriet Ageno of the National Unity platform (NUP).

Independent candidates are Dr Esther Akullo Obot and Rebecca Arao.

Baker Walusimbi of the Global Election Observation Missions said they have deployed 15 staff in Dokolo to monitor the polls.