The Tororo Chief Magistrate’s Court has dismissed an application seeking a vote recount in the Tororo District Woman Member of Parliament election, effectively affirming the victory of independent candidate Angella Akoth.
The application had been filed by the incumbent MP, Sarah Achieng Opendi of the National Resistance Movement, following her defeat in the January 15 polls. Official results declared Akoth the winner with 78,542 votes, narrowly edging Opendi, who garnered 78,507 votes.
In her ruling, Chief Magistrate Irene Nantebya held that the condition of the ballot boxes made it impossible for the court to rely on them as credible evidence. She noted that several boxes presented before the court showed signs of tampering, including broken seals, a situation she said compromised the integrity of the election materials.
The court concluded that proceeding with a recount under such circumstances would undermine the administration of justice, leading to the dismissal of the application in its entirety.
Opendi’s legal team had argued that irregularities occurred during the tallying process at a number of polling stations and sought a recount to verify the results. However, court records indicate that the state of the election materials raised serious doubts about their reliability, ultimately weakening the case for a recount.
With the dismissal of the application, the court upheld the declaration made by the Electoral Commission, confirming Angella Akoth as the duly elected Woman Member of Parliament for Tororo District.
The ruling brings to a close a closely contested race that was among the tightest in the district, decided by a margin of just 35 votes. Akoth’s win reflects a strong showing by independent candidates in the area during the January elections.
Akoth is now expected to complete the remaining electoral formalities ahead of taking her seat in the Eleventh Parliament thus a new chapter in Tororo District’s representation.
