Soroti City divisions turn yellow after NRM reigns supreme

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The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has completed a clean sweep of Soroti City’s two divisions, marking a dramatic political shift in a city long regarded as an Opposition stronghold.

Soroti City East Division, once firmly under the grip of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), turned from blue to yellow after NRM’s Abdul Latif Wali cruised to victory with 11,003 votes. 

He defeated seven contenders in a race that highlighted the scale of the ruling party’s resurgence.

FDC’s Gabriel Ogire, a seasoned Soroti-based lawyer, came a distant second with 3,204 votes. Independent candidate Wilfred Onyango followed with 424 votes, while Solomon Epuru of the National Unity Platform (NUP) managed 217. 

In the contest, Moses Onyait of the People’s Freedom Front (PFF) secured 171 votes, Tom Okilan (independent) polled 159, and Elias Ewachu of the Democratic Front (DF) trailed the field with 74 votes.

Latif succeeds FDC's Paul Omer, who opted not to seek re-election after failing in his bid for the Soroti City mayoral seat.

In his victory message, Latif pledged to lobby for improved service delivery and better representation for residents of Soroti City East.

“This is the city without garbage trucks, lacks road equipment and many other things that I will join hands with my city mayor to lobby,” he said.

In the 2021 elections, Latif lost to Omer by a margin of 29 votes. He has promised to work closely with the NRM national vice-chairperson for Eastern, David Calvin Echodu, to ensure they attract investors so that the city youth get jobs.

Meanwhile, in Soroti City West Division, NRM city chairperson John Enomu registered a commanding victory, polling 7,899 votes to defeat FDC’s Isaac Asaku, who garnered 3,874 votes.

The contest attracted four candidates, with independent Samuel Eyobu finishing third with 1,443 votes, while the incumbent division mayor, Peter Patrick Emaru of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), came trailed with 363 votes.

Assistant returning officer Soroti city Luke Osele declaring the candidates.

Latif and Enomu were declared winners by the assistant returning city officer of Soroti, Luke Osele.

'I defused opposition tactics'

Speaking to journalists after being declared winner, Enomu vowed to prioritise sanitation challenges in the division and ensure close monitoring of government programmes.

“Cleanness is one of my key priorities because a dirty city will not attract investors."

He dismissed allegations of electoral rigging as “cheap politics,” arguing that such claims were being advanced by candidates who failed to win the trust of voters.

“Why didn’t NRM rig out the city woman MP and MP for Soroti City East? Rigging was not there, but as a former leader in Opposition for a long time, I found it easy to defuse the opposition tactics, and it has worked,” said Enomu.

On election day, the Police in Soroti City West arrested mayoral candidate Isaac Asaku over an alleged election offence.

He was arrested shortly after casting his vote at Nakatunya Primary School Tuesday morning, and was later charged with an election-related offence and released on Police bond.

Beyond the mayoral races, the NRM also secured the majority of division councillor seats across the city. 

Enomu attributed the party’s success to what he described as fresh mobilisation tactics and renewed leadership under his stewardship as city party chairperson.

The outcome of the elections gestures a major political realignment in Soroti City, underscoring the NRM’s growing influence in a region traditionally associated with opposition politics.