One killed in Kapelebyong poll scuffle

________________

Tension is high in Kapelebyong District following the death of an elderly voter who sustained injuries during the Thursday (January 22) scuffle at a polling station in Acowa Town Council during the LC5 elections.

The deceased has been identified as Geresemu Esamu, a 73-year-old resident of Moru Temel Cell, Aparisha Ward in Acowa Town Council.

Witnesses have reported that Esamu was injured during a scuffle at his polling station while vote tallying was ongoing.

The incident reportedly occurred when Stephen Oluka, a polling agent for Robert Erisat Okitoi, one of the LC5 candidates, arrived late at the polling station and attempted to witness the tallying process.

Oluka’s presence angered agents of other candidates, who reportedly attempted to force him out of the polling station. In the chaos, Esamu was knocked to the ground, sustaining injuries.

First responders evacuated him to his home, but moments later, he was pronounced dead.  

The Resident District Commissioner for Kapelebyong, Tom Olinga Otukol, says security agencies have commenced investigations into the incident to establish the circumstances surrounding the death.

He revealed that Acowa Town Council and its surrounding areas had been listed as potential hotspots for election-related violence, prompting increased deployment of security personnel.

This incident marks the first reported election-related death in Kapelebyong District, coming after the presidential and parliamentary elections in the district were conducted peacefully.