Violence and confusion marred the Local Council I (LC1) elections in several villages across Katakwi District on Tuesday as disputes over the village voters’ register sparked clashes, leaving several people injured and a journalist assaulted while covering the polls.
The most serious incidents were reported in Omodo Village, Okokoma Parish in Akoboi Sub-county, and Kaimoru Village in Getom Sub-county, Toroma, where tensions flared after several residents discovered that their names were missing from the official village voters’ register despite claiming to have participated in previous general elections.
The Electoral Commission had earlier issued voter verification slips to enable residents to confirm their eligibility before polling. However, only those whose names appeared in the village register were allowed to vote. In Omodo Village, supporters of incumbent LC1 chairperson Paul Imalingat clashed with supporters of his challenger, John Oceger, after Imalingat was declared the winner by 29 votes against Oceger’s 28.
The situation deteriorated as the village registrar attempted to complete the declaration forms. Witnesses said a supporter identified as Ben Godfrey Oceger attempted to seize the declaration form, triggering a confrontation that escalated into a physical fight. Calm was only restored after the intervention of the Gombolola Internal Security Officer (GISO) and police officers.
Several people sustained injuries during the violence. Among those assaulted was Uganda Radio Network (URN) and Voice of Teso freelance journalist Emmanuel Olinga, who was attacked while covering the election. His equipment was also damaged during the incident.
Police have since registered a case of assault and malicious damage under SD Reference 25/28/07/2026. Deborah Atim, the village registrar for Omodo, defended the electoral process, saying only 68 voters had been registered in the village and that they were the only people eligible to participate in the election.
Several residents whose names were missing from the register, including Mary Akiror, Grace Adekait, Ben, Lillian Ademun, Godfrey Oceger and Joyce Aguti, expressed frustration, arguing that they had voted in previous national elections and did not understand why they had been excluded from the LC1 polls.
Katakwi District Returning Officer Stephen Makubya attributed the confusion to what he described as a misunderstanding of the “yellow book” village register. He explained that participation in LC1 elections is based on the village register compiled during the Electoral Commission’s village voter registration exercise and not the National Voters Register used during parliamentary and presidential elections.
Makubya urged residents to participate in future village registration exercises, saying many had overlooked the process despite extensive voter education and mobilisation campaigns. He added that Katakwi District generally conducted peaceful LC1 elections, noting that the Electoral Commission had registered 73,809 voters across the district’s 629 villages.
This version leads with the violence, clearly explains what triggered the clashes, separates verified facts from allegations, and follows a professional hard-news structure suitable for publication or broadcast-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
