Amolatar District Electoral Returning Officer question Nup Mp candidate A level paper refers him to the electoral Commission headquarters

24 October 2025, 9:14 am

By Sarah Ejang

The Amolatar District Electoral Commission has recently seen significant activity surrounding the nomination of candidates for the upcoming Kioga County MP elections. Returning Officer Ms. Irene Hope Nakiru announced that she has referred a National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate, Mr. Onyum Denis, to the Electoral Commission headquarters due to discrepancies in his Senior Six academic documents.In a press briefing held shortly after this referral, Ms. Nakiru expressed her concerns regarding Mr. Onyum’s academic qualifications, noting that it was unclear how he had only one subject completed at A-Level. She advised him to seek assistance from the Electoral Commission headquarters to rectify this issue.

Despite this setback, Ms. Nakiru praised the smooth and interference-free two-day nomination period, which took place from October 22nd to 23rd, 2025. Out of 13 candidates who had registered for nomination, only two were not nominated: Mr. Onyum, who was sent for further verification, and James Olobo Dubai, who secured a nomination as the Kaberamido county candidate.

Mr. Onyum has publicly stated that he believes his failure to be nominated stemmed from his party affiliation with NUP.

He confirmed that he received his Senior Six certificate from the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) after attending Amolatar Senior Secondary School.

This experience reflects ongoing challenges faced by candidates from certain political backgrounds during the nomination process.

Additionally, the assistant Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Ms. Sarah Tyan, commended all candidates for maintaining a peaceful atmosphere during the nominations. She urged them to carry this spirit into their forthcoming campaign rallies, emphasizing the importance of civility in political discourse.

The nomination results saw a mix of candidates from various platforms. On the first day, seven candidates were successfully nominated, including:- **Mr. Okodo Peter**, vying for the Kioga North constituency- **Dr. Agnes Atim Apea**, representing WMP Amolatar- **Mr. Carlos Opul**, contesting for the Kioga County seat- **Ms. Colins Angwech**, also contesting for Kioga County- **Mr. Okot Betek Moses**, competing for the Kioga County seat- **Mr. Felix Adupa Ongwech**, another contender for Kioga County- **Mr. Geoffrey Ocen**, running for Kioga North constituencyOn the second day, four additional candidates were nominated, including:- **Atala Lillain** on an Independent ticket for Women Member of Parliament (WMP)- **Auma Jennet Okao** for WMP under the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) ticket- **Akome Dorcus** as another Independent candidate for WMP- **Retired Colonel Dr. Ongia Francis**As the nomination period concludes, the political landscape in Amolatar is set for an engaging electoral season, encouraging all candidates to maintain integrity and respect as they move into campaigning.