The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Tororo, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Tribal conflicts threaten the success of the National Resistance Movement –NRM Party primaries in Tororo district, eastern Uganda.
The multi-ethnic district is currently has two offices for the NRM party, one for the people of Tororo county, majority of them with Teso lineage and another for the people of West Budama, who are mainly Japadhola.
The two offices are concurrently calling aspirants for various positions to pick nomination forms as the party moves to select ticket holders ahead of the 2021 general elections. But the happenings have created confusion among contenders for the various political positions.
The National NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson Dr Odoi Tanga however insists he is only aware of one NRM office in Tororo district managed by Joseph Kadokech and that this is the only office he is going to work with in the forthcoming elections.
Tororo county
Godfrey Othieno, the leader of the Tororo county Office is using different media platforms to announce that the party headquarters has communicated with them to run the party primaries.
“Our political office has been given the mandate to fully handle the NRM primary elections in Tororo County without any interference from the district office,” Othieno told URN in an interview, adding that the people of Tororo County will not recognize any nominations conducted by a different office.
West Budama
Joseph Kadokech, the registrar of the main NRM office in the district has maintained they still hold the mandate to run the activities of the ruling party in all areas in the district. Kadokech blamed the confusion on cultural leaders from Tororo County who are reportedly spreading defiance messages within the various communities.
“There is only one office, this office on market street that will handle this elections,” Kadokech said. “There are people moving in Tororo county telling people to vote particular candidates, and that there will be no elections for Woman MP and LC5.”
He adds that the NRM head office is aware of the confusion in the district, and had, for this reason, appointed deputy registrars from all the counties to resolve the conflict.
In the new appointments, former Kwapa NRM registrar Jude Taddeo Epugot was elected NRM assistant registrar in charge of Tororo county and Joseph Owori Oloka for West Budama North and South constituency.
The district located near the Uganda –Kenyan border in eastern Uganda also hosts a sizeable number of Banyole, Basamia and Bagwere, Bagisu, and Indian communities.
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