Court Orders Vote Recount For Dodoth East Constituency

The Kotido Chief Magistrate has ordered the Electoral Commission to recount the votes from Dodoth East County. The order follows a petition filed by the incumbent MP Samson Lokeris, who lost to Emmanuel Komol.

On Monday, Lokeris through his lawyers Alaka and Co. Advocates filed a petition against the Electoral commission seeking an inspection, and recount of ballot papers cast in the seven sub-counties. They include Lobongia, Kaabong town council, Lodiko, Loyoro, Kakamar, Kaabong West, and Lolelia.

He argued that the returning officer declared Komol as the winner 7,903 votes against his 7,892 votes with a marginal difference of only 11 votes. He adds that the tallying of results in the sub-counties was not conducted per the principals laid down in the provisions of the parliamentary act 2015.

Other grounds were that his polling agents were denied the right to verify and substantiate the ballot papers, voting went on until 9:30 pm which denied them the opportunity to know the truth and accuracy of the votes cast at various polling stations.

Jude Mwasa the lawyer of Komol, however, denied all the submissions, saying everything was held per the laid out procedures.

In his ruling on Friday, Emmy Geoffrey, the Chief Magistrate Kotido ordered the EC to avail the electoral materials for the seven sub-counties and prepare for a recount on Monday at Kaabong Grade One Magistrate’s court.