High Court to deliver verdict in Soroti East by-election petition today

The High Court in Soroti is today expected to deliver the judgment on the July 2022 Soroti East Division by-election.

A final verdict on the matter is expected at midday, according to the court notice served to participating counsels.

"Take notice that this case has been fixed for judgement on the [Friday, January, 20] day of 2023 at noon/O'clock or soon thereafter as the mention and of this matter can commence before this honorable Court," the Court registrar wrote in a notice seen by the Nile Post.

"If no appearance is made by yourself, pleader, or by someone authorized by law to act on your behalf, Court may proceed and mention may be given in your absence. Given under my hand and the seal of this Court this, Thursday, January 20, day of 2023," the Court added.

The poll, in which the National Resistance Movement's Herbert Edmund Ariko was declared the winner according to the Electoral Commission, pitted him against Forum for Democratic Change's Moses Attan Okia.

The results were challenged by Attan himself, who alleges voting illegalities and irregularities.

Okia, through his lawyers JByamukama & co advocates, in an August 26 petition indicated that there were malpractices of the by-election and detention of his party agents.

Christine Eyuu, the returning officer for Soroti City, who is also a respondent in the petition, on July 28, declared Herbert Edmund Ariko of NRM as MP for Soroti East Division having garnered 9,407 votes against Attan’s 8,771.

Pascal Amuriat of Uganda People’s Congress came a distant third with 115 votes.

Ariko was jointly dragged to court with the Electoral Commission and the returning officer, Christine Eyuu. 

Attan, who was elected MP for Soroti East Division in 2021, was thrown out of Parliament by the Court of Appeal in May 2022 on grounds that his election was conducted within unspecified boundaries.