Arua town is a commercial centre in the Northern Region of Uganda.
It is approximately 440 kilometres), by road, north-west of Kampala, 95 kilometres, by road, west of Gulu.
Arua town (municipality) is an important base for non-governmental organizations working in the West Nile sub-region or serving Western Equatoria in South Sudan and the north eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
It has since become important commercial supply centre and transport route enabling supplies to and from neighbouring countries of Congo, South Sudan and Sudan.
Therefore its strategic location is a key political factor, reason the regime badly needed to win the Wednesday by-election which was scooped by independent candidate Kassiano Wadri who has been in detention since Monday.
Arua Municipality seat fell vacant on a Friday evening of June 8, 2018, following a grisly murder of Hon Ibrahim Abiriga who was returning home.
Up to date, his assailants are still at large neither the motive of his assassination is unknown as security agencies are yet to conclude investigations.
As a norm once a seat falls vacant, the Electoral Commission organises a by-election which saw 12 candidates contest to replace Late Abiriga.
It was a heated race.
To the ruling party, the just concluded election aroused emotions in a sense that it was reminding them of the brutal murder of their staunch member Abiriga and also needed to reclaim the seat to consolidate its position having lost a number of by-elections to opposition.
The opposition on the other side want to continue the habit of outshining its rivals in these by-elections.
Whereas the campaigns had moved on smoothly, the Monday violence threw spanner in the works following a couple of nasty events.
To mention but a few, one person was shot dead in names of Yasin Kawuma, a driver of musician Bobi Wine, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s life was threatened by an attack on his convoy, 34 people jailed including the newly elected area MP Kassiano Wadri and many more.
On Wednesday despite the previous ugly scenes, Arua constituents took to the polling stations to choose their new representative and by close of business, Hon Kassiano Wadri was announced winner by electoral commission with 38% while his closest rival Nusura Tiperu an NRM candidate garnered 29%.
Bad choice
Political observers this website talked to expressed their disappointment in the choice of Nusura Tiperu as the ruling party candidate.
Adding that any sane person who has been following the political dynamics of West Nile wouldn’t risk to front a female candidate in Arua, a region dominated by muslim religion.
Expounding on their frustration, these observers wondered whether NRM officials who suggested Tiperu’s name had first researched.
Sharia
Whereas the government is fighting to ensure women emancipation spreads across the country, there is something unique with muslims. Because Arua is an entry point and most of its neighbouring countries are dominated by Muslims, there is no doubt people of Arua still believe in Sharia.
Sharia is a body of Koran-based guidance that points Muslims toward living an Islamic life.
It is no public secret that sharia is anti-women.
The notion in sharia is that women must obey men and women are inferior.
Political commentators suggest this could have been a bigger factor which contributed to NRM’s fall in Arua.
“Men wouldn’t have allowed a woman to lead them.”
Sympathy Vote
Many by-elections that have previously happened in Uganda, voters elected the new MPs through sympathy vote. Some of these include Proscovia Oromait who won replaced her father as Usuk MP, Florence Nebanda who succeeded her deceased sister Cerinah Nebanda AS Butaleja Woman MP.
Those became legislators through sympathy vote.
“Why wouldn’t NRM choose anyone from Abiriga’s family?” asked an observer.
Protest Vote
Many voters couldn’t have decided to elect Kassiano Wadri following his incarceration along with other several members of parliament who were in Arua rallying him support.
Wadri, a former FDC lawmaker came as independent having failed to agree with the party.
The party instead fronted Bruce Musema.
Wadri was declared winner while behind bar in Gulu police station.