The State Minister for Fisheries, Hon. Hellen Adoa, has been officially declared the winner of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party primaries for the Serere District Woman Member of Parliament flag bearer seat.
This victory paves the way for her to represent the party in the 2026 general elections.
According to the final results released by the NRM district electoral commission, Adoa secured a decisive victory with 32,922 votes, comfortably ahead of her closest rival Esther Lucy Acom, who garnered 21,175 votes. Florence Iyogil, a third contestant, trailed with just 67 votes.
The announcement was made by William Olir, the NRM District Registrar, who lauded the people of Serere for turning up in large numbers to participate in the exercise.
“Despite a few logistical and procedural challenges in some sub-counties like Pingire, the election was largely peaceful, and the turnout was impressive,” Olir noted.
Speaking shortly after being declared the winner, Hon. Adoa expressed gratitude to her supporters, especially the women and youth who stood by her throughout what she described as a “difficult and emotionally charged campaign.”
However, Adoa did not hold back from criticizing her rivals, accusing them of employing intimidation tactics aimed at suppressing voter turnout among her supporters.
“There was a lot of interference. My voters, especially women, were scared. Some were threatened, while others were harassed on their way to polling stations,” she claimed.
“In some areas, registers were grabbed, polling officials were assaulted, and even some of my agents were beaten.”
The minister called for tighter security measures in Serere District as the country moves towards the 2026 general elections, warning that political competition must not erode public peace and safety.
“We need serious security deployments moving forward. If this is happening in a party primary, then we must prepare well to safeguard the integrity and safety of the general elections,” Adoa emphasized.
While celebrations broke out among Adoa’s supporters across several trading centers in Serere, not all candidates accepted the results in good faith.
Richard Emanio, a campaign agent allied to Esther Lucy Acom, accused the NRM Electoral Commission of mismanaging the election.
He pointed out what he termed as “critical issues” that he believes undermined the credibility of the entire process.
“The NRM Electoral Commission turned a blind eye to the illegalities we raised,” Email said. “From voter bribery to tampering with registers and biased polling officials, this was not a level playing field.”
Email further announced that their camp would not back down, declaring that their candidate would be nominated as an independent in the forthcoming general elections.
“We are ready to face Hon. Adoa in the general elections. We are going to nominate our candidate as an independent, and the people of Serere will have the final say,” he added.
In response to some of the concerns, Registrar William Olir admitted that a few incidents were recorded, particularly in Pingire Sub-county, where voting was delayed or interrupted due to administrative hiccups and minor disputes among agents.
However, he dismissed suggestions that these isolated incidents significantly altered the outcome of the election.
“We are compiling all reports and recommendations for future improvements, but the final results reflect the true will of the majority of NRM members in Serere District,” Olir stated.
Adoa is a seasoned politician who has previously used her position as a cabinet minister to attract several development projects to the district, including water infrastructure and education support initiatives.
However, her critics argue that her leadership style is too confrontational and have often accused her of sidelining dissenting voices within the party.
“It’s time to heal and work together for the good of Serere. I forgive my opponents, and I welcome all NRM members to join me in preparing for a bigger battle ahead in 2026,” she said.
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