Tony Kitara, a former parliamentary candidate for the Laroo-Pece Division, has insisted that his decision to challenge the election of Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Norbert Mao is purely legal and not driven by personal ambition.
Kitara, who contested on the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket, last week filed a petition at the High Court in Gulu City through his lawyer Caleb Alaka, seeking to nullify the outcome of the January 15 parliamentary election, citing alleged irregularities.
According to official Electoral Commission results, Mao won with 7,359 votes, defeating independent candidate and incumbent legislator Fr Charles Onen, who garnered 5,562 votes, while Kitara came third with 2,867 votes.
In an interview with Favour fm, Kitara stressed that his petition is not rooted in hostility towards Mao.
Kitara’s petition alleges that Mao violated the Electoral Commission’s harmonised campaign programme by campaigning in restricted areas, including Lawiyeadul Ward, disrupting Kitara’s campaign.
He also claims that Mao engaged in voter bribery, citing an incident where Shs150,000 was allegedly given to a women’s savings group leader at Gulu Town Primary School.
The petition further alleges that an Electoral Commission official attended one of Mao’s rallies and issued a voter identification slip during the event, raising questions about the neutrality of the electoral body.
Kitara also accuses Mao of campaigning beyond legally stipulated hours and participating in activities during the restricted period before polling day, including appearances on radio talk shows.
Bishop Godfrey Loum of the Northern Uganda Diocese last week urged defeated candidates in the Acholi sub-region to seek mediation rather than engage in lengthy court battles, warning that election petitions can consume time, drain resources, and deepen community divisions.
Mao and the Electoral Commission, also named in the petition, are yet to file their responses within the ten-day grace period.
By URN
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