Former minister Ejua, Tiperu missing on NRM register

Simon Ejua

As residents headed to the polls to pick the NRM flag-bearer ahead of the Arua Municipality by-elections, some of the candidates could not cast vote for themselves because they were not on the register.

Some of the candidates missing on the register include former transport minister Simon Ejua and former EALA legislator Nusura Tiperu.

The elections are scheduled for next month. The seat fell vacant after the murder of former area MP Col. Ibrahim Abiriga, who was gunned down near his home in Kawanda, Wakiso district.

The voters register that was last updated in 2015 and was used in the primaries before the 2016 general elections.

The vice-chairperson NRM for Arua district, Joyce Amaguru, says some candidates' names were not in the register.

Amaguru says some of these people came from various constituencies and therefore, were not in the municipality register. For example, Tiperu contested in Koboko North, while Ejua contested in Vurra County in the 2016 elections.

 "If the candidates did not register in the NRM book in 2015, then they are not in the register," she said.

Amaguru adds that some candidates are not residents in Arua municipality.

However New Vision could not get comments from Tiperu and Ejua as they did not pick their calls.

Amaguru also says the voter turnout was low.