Late MP Okabe’s son wins Serere by-election

Sylvia Cheptegei Nangendo, the Serere District returning officer, declared Omoding the winner with 15,638 votes, while his closest rival, Phillip Oucor of NRM, got 13,206 votes.

“By the powers entrusted to me, I declare Emmanuel Omoding as the duly elected MP for Serere County, having obtained the majority vote,” Ms Cheptegei said.

Alice Alaso of Opposition Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) got 3,339; Martin Onguruco, an independent, got 2,523, and Emmanuel Eratu of FDC came last with 1,252.

The returning officer said they cancelled results of four polling stations of Olomai in Atiira, Kangod in Ocaapa, Angole in Kyere, and Odokai in Atiira because of electoral malpractices, which were reported by the various candidates.

The election that started well in the morning hours turned violent in the afternoon when armed security officers raided some polling stations in Kateta, Kyere, and Atiira with pre-ticked ballot papers, allegedly in favour of the NRM candidate.

Okabe passed on last year in a road crash at Naboa in Budaka district on the Mbale-Iganga highway as communicated by Parliament communications director, Chris Obore.

Obore also said Okabe’s wife died moments later while in hospital in Mbale City on the same day.

Okabe’s driver was also hours later announced dead.

Different members of parliament described Okabe as a man who was full of wisdom and who thought through everything before he took action.

“Okabe who was full of wisdom. He older than some of us so we considered him our senior. He would guide us on number of issues quietly despite not talking a lot sessions, He always thought through things before taking action,” on of the members of parliament said.