By KT Reporter
The Chairman of the NRM Electoral Commission, Dr. Tanga Odoi, has expressed concern over widespread irregularities that have marred the party’s internal elections for Kotido Municipality Party structures. In a statement issued on Monday morning, Dr. Odoi said he had received multiple complaints from candidates alleging that voters were being hidden or confined by rival camps to influence their choices during the voting process.
Although he did not name the implicated candidates, this reporter observed voters camping at the homes of two elected leaders on Sunday evening, ahead of the vote that had been scheduled for Monday. Due to these complaints, the NRM Electoral Commission has temporarily suspended the elections in Kotido Municipality until Wednesday, 21st May 2025.
The decision aims to allow the district registrar to organise the elections in a free and fair environment, in line with the NRM’s election guidelines. “Due to numerous complaints from candidates that voters were being hidden by some rival candidates, the NRM Party Electoral Commission has decided to postpone the Kotido Municipality Party Structure elections to Wednesday, 21 May 2025,” the statement reads in part.
The Kotido District Registrar, John Paul Namuya, confirmed that there were significant irregularities on the ground, involving candidates he declined to name. He said the postponement was necessary to ensure the electoral process adheres to principles of transparency and fairness. He also noted that his office would request enhanced security deployment on polling day to maintain law and order.
This reporter observed NRM voters camping at various residences and public locations linked to some influential party leaders on the eve of the scheduled vote. Unconfirmed reports suggest that several voters were confined at private homes for hours, allegedly in preparation for the elections.
One voter, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, claimed he was picked up and held at a venue by supporters of a candidate. “I was not allowed to leave for hours on Sunday. I only managed to escape by faking a home emergency at the entrance,” he narrated.
The NRM elections in Kotido have been plagued by violence, bribery, and malpractice, from the village level up to the division and sub-county levels, prompting the intervention of the NRM National Electoral Commission. Dr. Odoi stressed that multiple irregular practices by candidates in Kotido Municipality necessitated the Commission’s intervention.
Monday’s election, which had been scheduled to take place at the Youth Centre for both the mainstream party structures and special interest groups, has now been pushed to Wednesday-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
