Two officials arrested after missing sub-county results found in Tororo

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Two officials have been arrested after the recovery of missing declaration forms, which had for hours stalled vote tallying and delayed announcement of the winner of the Tororo Woman MP National Resistance Movement (NRM) primary election.

The tallying process at the Tororo youth centre hall was suspended on Friday evening because of missing results from the sub-county of Kisoko.

The sub-county registrar, Samuel Okoth, was also reportedly missing.

But after a five-hour search and mounting anxiety over the delay, the missing declaration forms were recovered Saturday.

The forms were found mixed with forms from other already-tallied sub-counties, at the NRM main office.

Two officials, who were not identified, were arrested and are being detained pending investigations.

Kisoko sub-county comprises 31 villages (polling stations) with over 12,000 NRM registered voters.

Meanwhile, the resumption of tallying did not begin without incident.

The tallying of votes for the Tororo Woman MP NRM primary election resumed after contestants reached an agreement. (Credit: George Ofwono)

Dramatic scenes unfolded when the recovered declaration forms arrived at the tallying centre, as the challengers of incumbent Woman MP Sarah Achieng Opendi demanded a recount of the votes from all the 516 villages in Tororo county.

Their argument: the tallying should have been conducted at one location and not two separate venues like was the case.

Opendi and her supporters objected the demands for a recount, throwing the hall into a scene of heated verbal exchanges.

Security personnel intervened and ordered everyone out of the tallying centre, and allowed each candidate to select two agents to oversee the process.

Then, Rogers Mulindwa, the NRM spokesperson overseeing the NRM primaries in Bukedi sub-region, stepped in to mediate.

Eventually, a compromise was reached: all contenders agreed to have a recount of the results from all 516 villages in Tororo county. Only then did the tallying process finally resume.

Meanwhile, the winners of all directly elected parliamentary positions in Tororo have been declared. 

Simon Nicholas Owino secured the Tororo County North flag, Fredrick Angura won in Tororo County South, while Apollo Yeri Ofwono emerged victorious in Tororo Municipality.

George Oketcho won in West Budama South, Max Ochai in West Budama North, Richard Owere Machika in West Budama North East, and defence minister Jacob Oboth Oboth retained his seat in West Budama Central.