With less than one week to the polling day for presidential and parliamentary elections, stakeholders in Madi-Okollo District have appealed to the public to maintain peace and unity, particularly during the final days of campaigns and on election day.
The call comes amid several incidents of violence reported during ongoing political campaigns in parts of the West Nile sub-region, where supporters of rival parliamentary candidates have clashed over political affiliations and candidate choices.
The latest incident in Madi-Okollo occurred on January 4th, 2025, and was recorded at Rhino Camp Police Station as an attempted murder involving a bow and arrow. Police said the incident followed a family disagreement over candidates contesting for the parliamentary seat.
Madi-Okollo Muslim District Kadhi, Sheikh Kassim Dafala, urged residents to desist from conflict and instead promote unity, reminding voters that the election period will soon come to an end, but communities should live together.
Cases of violence during the ongoing campaigns have raised concerns among other community leaders in Madi-Okollo District.
Faruk Aidid, elders chairperson in the district, called on residents to respect their political differences and avoid causing harms on one another.
“This election should not separate us as the people of Madi-Okollo. It is not good to injure others in the process of becoming a leader,” Aidid advised.
Security officials in the district and West Nile region have pledged to ensure a peaceful electoral process through continuous engagement with stakeholders and communities.
The West Nile Regional Police Public Relations Officer, SSP Josephine Angucia, appealed for cooperation from the public. He gave assurance that the security team will play its part to ensure the election period ends peacefully.
“We urge the general public to exercise political tolerance within families and communities to ensure a peaceful end to political campaigns ahead of the general elections on January 15th, 2026,” Angucia emphasised.
According to the Electoral Commission program, campaigns for presidential and parliamentary candidates will end on January 13th, 2026, ahead of polling scheduled for Thursday, January 15th, 2026.
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