Chaos broke out in Tororo town on Tuesday as members of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) from Tororo County took to the streets to protest the suspension of Wilberforce Okware, the district NRM registrar.
The angry protesters--drawn from Tororo North and Tororo South constituencies--accused the NRM Electoral Commission chairperson, Tanga Odoi, of orchestrating politically motivated changes during a critical pre-primary period.
Okware was replaced by his deputy, Charles Iroota, following a suspension letter issued by Odoi citing multiple complaints and alleged misconduct.
Carrying placards bearing messages such as "Tanga must leave our party office" and "Both Okware and Iroota must go," the demonstrators marched to the office of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), where they submitted a petition demanding urgent government intervention.
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"We are in the middle of intense electoral activity. Suspending the registrar at this moment signals hidden motives," said Godfrey Othieno, chairperson of the NRM Political Office in Tororo.
"We will not accept such interference."
Deputy RDC Albert Amula received the petition and urged the group to remain calm.
"You have the right to demonstrate peacefully, but locking the party office sends the wrong message. Let's engage through formal channels," Amula cautioned.
Despite the warning, the protesters went ahead to lock the NRM district office, insisting that no credible electoral activity could proceed without a registrar accepted by all stakeholders.
"We'll keep the office closed until our concerns are addressed," Othieno reiterated.
Tensions escalated when the office administrator, Stephen Isegol, attempted to forcibly reopen the premises, sparking a physical confrontation.
Security forces, including UPDF personnel, were quickly deployed to calm the situation, ending a tense standoff that lasted nearly an hour.
According to Dr. Tanga Odoi's suspension letter, Okware was relieved of his duties to allow investigations into numerous complaints filed against him.
The letter directed an immediate handover to Iroota, his deputy.
However, the protesting group rejected Iroota's appointment as well, demanding a fresh and neutral registrar.
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"Let the Secretariat appoint someone from headquarters or pick one of our sub-county registrars who understands the local dynamics and is neutral," Othieno proposed.
"We want fairness and transparency--not internal power plays."
With the NRM party primaries just two weeks away, the unrest in Tororo underscores growing internal divisions that could jeopardize the credibility of the electoral process in the district.
