NRM primaries: Alupo grabs Pallisa as Keddi takes Butebo

May 28, 2018

John Arimpa Kigyagi declared Alupo a winner after polling 34,580 votes beating Kaala who gathered 26,995 and Ibaseret who got 11,058 votes

Samuel Keddi campaigning

Faith Alupo was on Friday declared the NRM Party flag-bearer for Pallisa district Woman Member of Parliament after trouncing Kevin Kaala Ojinga and Josephine Ibaseret.

John Arimpa Kigyagi declared Alupo a winner after polling 34,580 votes beating Kaala who gathered 26,995 and Ibaseret who got 11,058 votes at 10:55 in Pallisa district council chambers were the tallying of votes was done.

Kigyagi said he became happier when people flocked into their respective polling station two hours to the closure and congratulated the people of Pallisa for having conducted the most peaceful NRM elections as no sign of violence was reported.

"Now that Alupo is our party candidate for Pallisa district Woman Member of Parliament, I call upon the rest of the other candidates whom people voted, but their votes were less, to rally behind Alupo with their supporters for the strength of the party. This is the candidate who should replace for us Agnes Ameede who preferred crossing to Butebo district," Kigyagi said.

Kigyagi apologized before the voters who had gathered to witness the tallying of votes for the suspension of the exercise on 11th and 15th which affected the turn up of 25th May.

 Faith Alupo

Alupo, who was joyous said her success is the people of Pallisa voice because they thought it wise to entrust her with the NRM flag and they should continue doing the same during the final elections scheduled June 28.

"I call upon my sisters to support me the maintain NRM popularity in Pallisa because we had similar packages for our voters, which are in line with the main NRM manifesto. As social scientist, I will focus on issues of women and children when I go through come June 28,", Alupo said.

In Butebo district Samuel Keddi snatched the LC5 flag, which he competed for with James Okurut, Eriakimu Mulekwa and Christopher Onono.

Keddi was declared a winner by Jane Babiiha Alisemera, the NRM electoral commissioner, after polling 16,833 representing 51.1%. He beat James Okurut with 10,756 (32.9%), Eriakimu Mulekwa got 3,058 (9.4%) and Onono polled 1,633 (5.2%).

However, Okurut has bounceD back and picked forms as an independent, saying the NRM primaries in Butebo were not free and fair as most of his polling agents were beaten in Kanginima sub-county and chased from polling stations.

"I am going for Simon Byabakama's (Electoral Commission chairman) forms come 4th because I believe in his commission, which will not accept staffing of votes. I rung Tanga Odoi, the NRM electoral commission boss, but instead turned violent on me. The turn up was very low and how Keddi got 16,000 nobody knows," Okurut said.

Tanga Odoi rubbished Okurut's claim, saying the mess in the three polling stations could not affect the outcome.

"How can I become violent to my candidates? I only told Okurut never to interfere with the exercise by alleging that by 9:00am most polling stations in Kanginima sub-county where Keddi hails from had voted. What is important is for losers to accept and rally behind the winner," Odoi said.

In Pallisa Kevin Kaala has also rejected the outcome of the results, saying her win was robbed. She met her agents in Kyoga Hotel Pallisa, to strategize for the independent candidature.

"The final elections will prove NRM electoral commission wrong because Alupo will not make it to Parliament. You saw there was no jubilation because people doubted her victory and I am the only lady in NRM who has the capacity to trounce Catherine Achola the FDC candidate," Kaala said.

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