Soroti District LC5 chairperson candidate Vincent Enomu has threatened to seek legal redress following what he describes as widespread irregularities in the recently concluded Local Council Five (LC5), city mayor, and directly elected councillor elections held on January 22, 2026.
The elections, conducted across Soroti District and Soroti City, attracted significant voter turnout and intense political competition. However, shortly after the declaration of results, Enomu publicly expressed dissatisfaction, arguing that the announced outcome did not reflect the true will of the electorate.
Speaking to the press in Soroti Town, Enomu said he was “deeply concerned and disappointed” by the manner in which the election was conducted in some parts of the district. He alleged that the process was characterized by violence, intimidation of polling agents, and serious discrepancies in vote tallying, particularly in rural sub-counties.
According to Enomu, one of the most serious incidents occurred in Awaliwal Sub County, where he claims that groups of unidentified individuals armed with pangas and sticks stormed several polling stations. He alleged that the individuals assaulted his polling agents, forcibly grabbed their mobile phones, and chased them away from polling stations during voting and counting.
“These acts denied my agents the opportunity to observe the counting process and protect the interests of our supporters,” Enomu said, adding that such actions undermined transparency and fairness.
He further claimed that some of his sub-county supervisors were arrested during the election period under what he described as unclear circumstances. Enomu argued that the arrests disrupted his campaign’s coordination efforts and weakened oversight of the voting process in key areas of Soroti District.
In addition to security concerns, Enomu raised questions about the credibility of the voter turnout figures. He alleged that in several polling stations, the number of votes cast exceeded the number of registered voters listed in the official voter register, a situation he said points to possible electoral malpractice.
Enomu warned that unless the Electoral Commission addresses these concerns and provides what he termed as “electoral justice,” he will formally challenge the results in court.
“I respect democracy and the rule of law, but I cannot accept results that do not reflect the genuine choice of the people of Soroti District,” he said. “My legal team is reviewing the evidence, and we are prepared to take legal action.”
Meanwhile, the declared LC5 winner, Owiny, has strongly dismissed the allegations, maintaining that his victory was lawful and fairly earned. Owiny insisted that he won convincingly across all seven sub-counties of Soroti District, including both rural areas and parts of Soroti City.
Owiny described the claims of intimidation and violence as exaggerated, noting that electoral tensions affected candidates across the political divide. He stated that some of his own agents were also chased from polling stations in isolated incidents.
“Elections are competitive, and tensions are sometimes unavoidable, but that does not mean the results are illegitimate,” Owiny said. “I defeated my opponents fairly, and the people of Soroti District made their choice.”
He further pointed out that the Electoral Commission nullified results from some polling stations where irregularities were detected, arguing that this demonstrated the Commission’s commitment to enforcing electoral laws and ensuring fairness.
By press time, the Soroti District Electoral Commission office had not issued an official response to Enomu’s allegations. However, political observers in Teso Sub-Region note that election petitions are common in closely contested races and emphasize the importance of resolving disputes through lawful and peaceful means.
Civil society organizations and local leaders in Soroti have urged supporters of all candidates to remain calm as the legal process takes its course, warning that post-election tensions could undermine peace and development in the district.
As the district awaits further developments, attention now turns to whether Enomu will formally file an election petition, a move that could shape the political leadership of Soroti District in the coming months.
