Agency
The Pader Chief Magistrate’s Court has ordered a full recount of votes in the closely contested Aruu County parliamentary election after Independent candidate Dr. Odonga Otto convinced the court that serious tallying errors may have affected the outcome.
In a ruling delivered on Thursday, Chief Magistrate Kirya Martins directed that the recount be conducted on January 23 at 8:30 a.m., barely days after the January 15 polls.
The Aruu race was decided by a margin of just 26 votes, making it one of the tightest parliamentary contests in the region.
The Electoral Commission had declared National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Christopher Komakech the winner with 10,455 votes, against Otto’s 10,429.
Otto, a former Member of Parliament for the area, immediately challenged the results.
The recount will be conducted at the Pader Chief Magistrate’s Court under tight police security.
