National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Elma Kapel Challa has been elected Youth Member of Parliament for Northern Uganda after securing 1,245 votes in a three-candidate contest.
Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) candidate Wacha Elizabeth Shakira came second with 343 votes, while Democratic Party (DP) candidate Amolo Elizabeth finished third with eight votes. Challa will replace Boniface Okot, the outgoing Northern Youth MP.
The election, held in Arua City, brought together thousands of youth delegates from across the Greater North. Voting was delayed into the afternoon after the Electoral Commission failed to pay transport refunds of Shs 600,000 per delegate, a problem some said reflected a lack of transparency.
“The problem was due to the lack of transparency from the commission,” said Gom Belmos, a youth delegate from Lango. Some delegates also demanded the stipend be increased to Shs 3 million, citing travel from distant districts and the costs of assistants for persons with disabilities.
After verification, voting commenced around 3 pm, with long queues forming at Mvara Secondary School, where Challa emerged victorious over her opponents.
Elma Kapel Challa, who previously held the title of Miss Tourism Uganda in 2017 and hails from the Karamoja sub-region, has pledged to streamline youth organizations, promote youth engagement in agriculture, and tackle unemployment among young people in Northern Uganda.
