Labeja retains Gulu municipality mayoral seat

Mar 03, 2016

After declaring Labeja winner, Gulu district returning officer Benson Obete said the election was free and fair.

Incumbent George Labeja has retained his seat as Gulu municipality mayor after beating an eight-strong opposition in Wednesday's election.

An independent candidate, Labeja won with 6,556 votes in the 112 polling stations in Gulu municipality out of the 18,214 valid votes. As many as 562 votes were invalid.

His closest challenger was NRM's Alfred Okwonga who polled 5,739 votes, closely followed by DP's Geoffrey Otim (4,289).

Okello Denis Oweka, an independent got 628 votes while Martin David Aliker (FDC) managed 534.

Others who followed and all independents: Robert Adongakulu (188), Maliam Okello (185), Joachim Labongo Olweny (65) and Michael Lokiko got a paltry 30 votes.

After declaring Labeja winner, Gulu district returning officer Benson Obete said the election was free and fair.

 

Labeja (pictured) is a former Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) soldier who was trained on infantry course in Jinja and he later went to Korea in Pian Yaung where he did an intelligence, karate and artillery course in 1982 and returned to be later given the rank of captain.

He thanked the people of Gulu for the support and trust they have demonstrated to re-elect him.

In his new term, his said, he will work on the road in the municipality and improve on the cleanliness in Gulu to make the northern Uganda town as beautiful as Fort portal.

Labeja said he will use Japanese funds to build a new sewerage lagoon, work on the drainage like Oitino, Pece stream channel and Pece Aywee stream.

"On 28th of this month, I will go to Japan and sign a contract so that we start twinning with one of the towns in Japan. There is also a company in Japan that is coming to Gulu to invest here. They are going to build a factory for making Yamoto shirts and towels."

The mayor-elect also said he will strengthen the security in the municipality to see that people move freely at any time of the day without fear.

He wants the people he beat to the seat to put their political rivalry aside and unite towards the development of the municipality.




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