Anita Among Challenger Deleted from National Voters Register Ahead of 2026 Bukedea Race

A woman planning to unseat Speaker Anita Among as Bukedea District Woman MP in the 2026 general elections has alleged that her name was deliberately deleted from the national voters register in what she describes as political sabotage.

Ms Hellen Akol Odeke, a native of Kachumbala Sub-county—now Kachumbala County in Bukedea District—told this publication that despite transferring her voting location to Malera Primary School polling station after facing similar issues in 2021, her name was once again missing from the recently displayed voters register.

“I moved to Malera and even bought land there. But during the recent register display, I was shocked to find my name deleted again,” Ms Akol said.

After raising the issue with the Electoral Commission (EC) office in Bukedea, she was informed that she would need to appear before a tribunal chaired by a magistrate to determine her voter status. “I don’t understand why the system is upside down. Democracy is under threat,” she said.

Ms Akol further disclosed that her campaign manager, Mr John Kokas Ogulit, was arrested three weeks ago while distributing her branded T-shirts to supporters.

“There’s a climate of fear. Security forces appear compromised and aligned with incumbents,” she claimed.

In 2021, Ms Akol was blocked from contesting after Soroti High Court Judge Wilson Musalu Musene ruled in favor of a petitioner, Umar Okodel, who accused her and another aspirant, Sophie Malinga Akol, of lacking proper academic qualifications and altering their names.

Commenting on Ogulit’s arrest, Mr Lorika, a local official, downplayed the political connection, saying the arrest stemmed from an alleged domestic dispute involving threats of violence. “Politics has nothing to do with this matter,” he said.

However, Ogulit’s wife, Ms Tabitha Arot, claimed he was detained on two charges—distributing political materials prematurely and threatening violence.

Electoral Commission spokesperson Mr Julius Mucunguzi said Ms Akol must provide proof of a voter transfer, such as a formal application form. “If she properly transferred, there should be documentation,” he noted.

But Ms Akol insists she has no such form because her name was already removed from the register in the 2021 cycle, which she says prevented her from executing a formal transfer.