Ajuri, Alebtong | In a stunning electoral upset, Jalameso Fred of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) was declared the Member of Parliament-elect for Ajuri County, defeating the incumbent government minister, Denis Hamson Obua of the National Resistance Movement (NRM).
On Tuesday, January 27, 2026, the acting Alebtong District Electoral Returning Officer, Micheal Olobo, announced the final results.
He announced and declared that Jalameso secured victory with 16,336 votes, beating Government Chief Whip Denis Hamson Obua, who garnered 15,568 votes.
Other candidates trailed significantly: Emmanuel Ongom Okwel (FDC) with 2,874 votes, Molo Jasper (Independent) with 1,585 votes, and Omara Steven (Independent) with 519 votes.
Invoking Section 77(1) of the Parliamentary Elections Act, Olobo declared: “I declare Jalameso Fred of UPC, who has obtained the largest number of votes, to be the MP-elect for Ajuri County for the term 2026-2031.”
Addressing journalists after his victory, the MP-elect expressed his gratitude. “I am deeply delighted by this achievement and what the people of Ajuri have done for me in two consecutive elections held within a month,” Jalameso stated.
He extended thanks to his UPC party leaders, supporters from rival parties including the NRM and FDC, and the general public for their trust.
He outlined his motivation for running, citing a lack of effective representation in key areas. “What propelled me to secure the mandate of Ajuri County was a commitment to the four roles of an MP, starting with representation,” he explained.
Jalameso pinpointed education as a critical failure, noting that Ajuri was the worst-performing county in the 2024 national exams, with only 14 pupils in Division One despite being represented by a powerful minister. “I took this as a gap that needed to be closed. The people of Ajuri want change with new energy,” he asserted.
The MP-elect also reflected on his underdog status with a philosophical tone. “Judging a book before reading it is very dangerous. Many people underestimated me, but I stood on the biblical verse: James 4:10, which says: ‘Whoever humbles themselves before the Lord will be lifted up’.”
He elaborated on the theme of perception versus reality, stating, “People will shock you the day you discover they are not what you see on the outside… The ones that look ‘off’ can be really good people if only you gave them half a chance.”
He cautioned against the polished facade of politicians, describing them as “ridiculously well trained” to appear serious and powerful, often seeming like “robots or reptiles” devoid of empathy.
He concluded with another biblical reference, citing Chronicles to emphasize that “however powerful you are, if you don’t have love for the people, you achieve nothing.”
UPC party President Jimmy James Michael Akena Obote celebrated the victory in Ajuri and similar wins in Moroto County. “This is what we call ‘power belongs to the people of Uganda’,” Akena said.
He framed the result as a triumph of people’s will over influence, stating, “What happened in Ajuri shows that whatever title you have, authority, uniform, guns, or money, could not change the will of the people. The entire world has witnessed that money is nothing.”
Background: A two-round contest
The election followed a partial re-run. In the initial vote on January 15, 2026, Obua had challenged the results from 18 polling stations in Awei sub-county, alleging votes were not counted. The Electoral Commission scheduled a fresh election for those stations on January 27.
In the January 15 tally, Jalameso Fred led with 14,331 votes against Obua’s 12,963. In the January 27 re-run for the disputed stations, Obua gained 2,569 votes against Jalameso’s 2,122.
However, this narrower victory in the re-run was insufficient to overcome Jalameso’s overall lead. The final aggregate gave Jalameso Fred a winning margin of 921 votes, cementing his defeat of the incumbent minister.
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