Omodo Omodo, a voter in Lira has petitioned Electoral Commission challenging the authenticity of the educational documents used to nominate Jimmy Akena, incumbent Lira Municipality Member of Parliament.
Omodo argues that Akena does not posses the minimum qualification of A level or its equivalent that is required for one to contest as MP. He alleges that the National Council of Higher Education acted erroneously when it issued Akena a certificate of completion of formal education in 2006.
He says that Akena's academic documents from Imani School in Kenya could have been forged because the school doesn't have records showing that Akena was their students in 1984, when he allegedly completed ordinary level.
Omodo further cast doubts on Akena's actual identity saying he hold a voter's car under the name Jimmy Akena and yet has academic papers bearing the names Akena James Michael. But Akena in a statutory declaration on the variation in his names said that his full names are Akena James Michael.
He explained that he is popularly called Jimmy Akena the same names he used for registration as a voter. Patrick Ocana, the Lira district registrar of electoral commission admits receiving the petition.
He says that the commission has asked Akena to respond to the claims before a decision is taken. Akena, a UPC party candidate is seeking re-election as Lira municipality MP.
Campaigns by the contestants for the parliamentary election kicked off today a head of the polls in February next year.
