The Local Council III chairperson of Alito Town Council in Kole District, Tom Olet, was assaulted on Saturday during chaotic Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) primaries.
According to party officials, Mr Olet was accused by some voters of carrying pre-filled Declaration of Results (DR) forms before being attacked by angry supporters.
Click here to join our WhatsApp Group and Receive Daily News
Matia Kajura, a UPC electoral official supervising the process in Kole North, confirmed the incident. “Voters pounced on him and seized the election materials, but he managed to escape unharmed,” he told the BBC by phone. He added that the matter had been reported to police but was later resolved peacefully.
Despite the violence, Mr Kajura said voting eventually proceeded without further disruption.
Delays and confusion
UPC, one of Uganda’s oldest political parties, held primaries across several districts on Saturday to select flag bearers for parliamentary and district chairperson positions ahead of the 2026 general elections.
In Kole South, incumbent MP Peter Ocen reported delays after ballot papers destined for Bala Sub-county were withheld at a hotel in Aboke Town Council. “By 12:30pm, polling had not started in Bala because materials only arrived late. But elections are now going on smoothly where ballots have been delivered,” he said, crediting security forces for maintaining order.
High-stakes contests
The primaries are part of UPC’s broader roadmap for the 2026 elections, with flag bearers being chosen in 25 constituencies and eight districts seen as key battlegrounds.
Notable contests include Agago West, where Dickens Oyaka faces Belly Sam Okwir Ojar, and Kalaki County, where Edmond Ekaju is up against Julius Eyadu. In Otuke County, Ojok Okello and Jasper Abong are competing for the party’s ticket, while Richard Enen Okello faces Joe Ocen Oluge in Otuke East.
In Dokolo, races are also tight: Vincent Opito is battling Patrick Ojuka in the south, while four contenders—Francis Ojok, Josephine Acen Atia, Dickens Otim, and Bob Mike Akejo—are seeking the north’s ticket.
Women’s MP seats are equally competitive. In Otuke, Norah Odur is running against Grace (surname not provided), while in Dokolo, Anna Okwir Bung is challenging incumbent Sarah Aguti Nyangkori.
In Apac District, Susan Achola Engola, Winnie Sharon Aguti, and Winnie Acen are contesting for the Woman MP flag. In Maruzi County, Peter Obong and Taban Yassmin are vying for the slot, while in Oyam South, four candidates, including Dr Richard Manday Odong and Dr Anthony Ekwaro Obuku, are in the race.
Elsewhere, incumbent MPs such as Santa Sandra Alum Ogwang (Oyam Woman), Peter Ocen Akalo (Kole South), and others face stiff competition from fresh challengers.
Call for unity
Ahead of the primaries, UPC’s electoral commission chairperson, Mahmoud Kazimbiraine, urged party members to select strong representatives capable of competing in the 2026 general elections.
“Choose your very best,” he said on Friday. “And when you do, do not stop there. Support them, push them, and ensure victory wherever UPC has a candidate.”
Also Read: Amama Mbabazi’s Daughter Wanted Over Unpaid Shs 450m Loan
