SOROTI CITY – All roads lead to Soroti High Court on Monday, 13th July 2026, where one of the most closely watched election petitions in the Teso Sub-region will come up for hearing.
 

The court is expected to begin hearing the election petition challenging the victory of Soroti City Woman Member of Parliament Joan Alobo Acom at 9:00 a.m., in a case that has attracted significant public interest since it was filed earlier this year.

The petition was lodged by Sarah Inachu, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate and Alobo’s closest challenger in the 2026 parliamentary election. Inachu is asking the court to nullify Alobo’s election and order a fresh poll, arguing that the electoral process was marred by serious irregularities that substantially affected the final outcome.

According to the 36-page petition filed on 10th March 2026, Inachu polled 10,085 votes, while Alobo was declared the winner with 19,040 votes. The election also featured independent candidates Juliet Agonyo, Emily Shila Amulo, and Priscila Apolot.

In the petition, Inachu accuses the Electoral Commission of failing to conduct a free and fair election. She alleges that the Soroti City Returning Officer unlawfully declared Alobo the winner despite what she describes as flawed election results.

Among the key allegations contained in the petition are claims that election officials failed to follow the law, that some people voted without appearing on the voters’ register or possessing valid voter location slips, and that electoral malpractice occurred in several polling stations.

The petition further alleges that Alobo engaged in electoral corruption by allegedly giving Shs200,000 to each of the 27 Electoral Commission supervisors in Soroti City to facilitate acts such as pre-ticking of ballot papers, ballot stuffing, and multiple voting. Inachu argues that these alleged irregularities significantly influenced the election results and denied voters a free and transparent electoral process.

However, MP Joan Alobo has strongly denied all the accusations.

Through her lawyer, Samuel Isodo, Alobo filed a response rejecting every allegation contained in the petition. In her affidavit, she stated that she never gave money to election officials and never authorized any unlawful activity during the election.

“I did not give Shs200,000 or any other sum to election supervisors. I did not commit any election offence, and neither did my agents,” Alobo stated in her court response.

She further dismissed the affidavits supporting the petition as false and described them as being “fit only for a poorly made movie script.”

The Electoral Commission has also defended the election, maintaining that the process was conducted in accordance with the law and that the final results reflected the will of the people of Soroti City.

The Commission has lined up Soroti City Returning Officer John Gonzaga Olinga together with 13 presiding officers to testify in defence of the election.

In its submissions before court, the Electoral Commission argues that even if any irregularities occurred during the election, they were not substantial enough to alter the final outcome. The Commission has therefore asked the court to dismiss the petition with costs and uphold Alobo’s election as the duly elected Woman Member of Parliament for Soroti City.

Monday’s hearing is expected to mark the beginning of what could become one of the most significant electoral court proceedings in the Teso Sub-region this year. Political leaders, party supporters, civil society organizations, election observers, legal practitioners, and members of the public are expected to closely follow the proceedings.

As the hearing gets underway, residents of Soroti City and the wider Teso region are encouraged to attend the open court session and witness the judicial process firsthand. Court proceedings provide an opportunity for the public to understand how electoral disputes are resolved through the rule of law and to appreciate the role of the judiciary in safeguarding democracy.

Security is expected to be maintained around the court premises to ensure that the hearing proceeds peacefully and orderly.

The hearing begins at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, 13th July 2026, at Soroti High Court. Members of the public are urged to arrive early, conduct themselves peacefully, and follow all guidance issued by court officials and security personnel as the case gets underway.