An Urgent Appeal for Electoral Integrity in Karenga District

Karenga District – It has been over two weeks since the NRM Electoral Commission conducted primary elections in Karenga District on July 17, 2025, for the positions of Woman Member of Parliament and County MP. Despite a seemingly smooth and peaceful process on election day, the prolonged delay in publicly declaring the official results has raised serious concerns among residents. These fears have been compounded by accusations that the Ethics Minister, who contested for the party flag for Woman MP in Karenga District, allegedly stalled the vote tallying process after her purported defeat and called for herself to be declared the winner, sparking outrage among residents.

The election process, spanning all 228 polling stations, was initially lauded for its transparency and peaceful conduct, witnessed by security forces, civil society observers, party agents, and presiding officers. Crucially, no formal complaints were reported on election day, and all declaration forms were duly signed and verified by the relevant authorities, a testament to the integrity of the voting process.

However, a deeply unsettling concern has emerged: as of today, August 4, 2025, the official results from Karenga District have yet to be publicly declared. This undue delay has fueled growing fears within the community, with many suspecting intentional manipulation of the outcome in favor of certain candidates.

To provide clarity and context, we present a summary of the provisional results, meticulously compiled from official declaration forms signed across all polling stations:

Woman Member of Parliament Karenga District

• Hon. Imen Doreen Loe: 11,113 votes
• Hon. Akello Rose Lilly: 10,227 votes

Napore West Constituency

• Hon. Lokwang Phillips Ilukol: 2,534 votes
• Hon. Loluk Fidelis Logwee: 2,288 votes
• Hon. Dr. Logwee John Brenda: 20 votes

Dodoth West Constituency

• Hon. Lochaale Felix Mark: 8,271 votes
• Hon. Baatom Ben Koryang: 4,458 votes
• Hon. Dida Julius Lodou: 3,505 votes

Regrettably, subsequent to the elections, we have observed disturbing attempts to alter the tallying process. These include efforts to nullify results from Kakwanga and Lobalangit sub-counties. These areas are home to the Nyangia (also known as Nyang’i/Nyangiya), one of the five Indigenous Minority Groups (IMGs) in Northern Karamoja. It is imperative to note that these communities participated fully and peacefully in the electoral process, and no credible grounds have been provided for disqualifying their diligently cast votes.

Furthermore, a troubling pattern of selective criteria application has become evident. Retroactive standards, such as cancelling polling stations with 100% voter turnout or alleged duplicate names, are being applied inconsistently. These stringent measures are being imposed exclusively on the two aforementioned sub-counties, while the rest, already tallied, were not subjected to the same rigorous scrutiny. This selective enforcement unequivocally undermines the integrity of the entire process and casts a dark shadow of doubt on the fairness of the eventual outcome.

As concerned residents and voters of Karenga District, we respectfully and urgently implore the NRM Electoral Commission to:

• Apply the same tallying standards across all sub-counties. Consistency is paramount to maintaining fairness and public trust.
• Avoid nullifying results without clear, lawful justification. Any disqualification of votes must be based on verifiable evidence and adhere strictly to electoral laws.
• Uphold the integrity of votes cast in good faith by law-abiding citizens. The democratic will of the people must be respected and protected.

We firmly believe that if inaccuracies exist in the voter register, the appropriate remedy is to remove duplicate entries, not to invalidate the voices of entire communities who participated peacefully in the democratic process.

In the unwavering interest of transparency, fairness, and electoral justice, we earnestly seek your urgent intervention to ensure that the final results truly reflect the legitimate will of the people of Karenga District. The future of our district's representation hinges on the integrity of this electoral process.

The writer is a concerned voter and resident of Karenga District.