SOROTI EAST BY-ELECTION CHAOS: FDC President Amuriat Arrested

Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) President Patrick Oboi Amuriat has been arrested hours before voting in the Soroti City East byelection could start, officials from his party say.

Amuriat, popularly known as POA, was arrested during a raid by suspected police and military officers at the home of Soroti City Woman MP Ann Adeke Ebaju’s home in Akisim.

During the raid, a number of FDC officials were reportedly beaten, pepper sprayed before being arrested. The security officials are said to have broken into Adeke’s home late Wednesday, July 27 night. They also reportedly took off with election related materials belonging to the FDC candidate Moses Okia Attan.

Over 40 FDC officials are said to have been arrested during the raid at Adeke’s home. The youthful MP was said to be out of her home when the raid reportedly happened.

Thousands of voters will go to the polls to choose their MP after the Court of Appeal nullified Okia’s election in May 2022.

Okia will be facing Herbert Edmund Arike of President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) as well as Pascal Amuriat of Jimmy Akena’s Uganda People’s Congress (UPC). Results are expected late Thursday night or hours into Friday, July 29, 2022.

You can read our earlier story and watch the video on the attack at MP Adeke’s home Here.