Observers: 41% of polling stations opened after 8am

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Despite the fact that polling was supposed to start by 7:00am, 41% of the polling stations country wide had not opened by 8am. This is according the citizen Election observers Network Uganda (CEON-U).

This is contained in a preliminary finding on the opening and set-up process released on Thursday.

 "Although 95% of polling stations had all strategic materials, the other remaining polling stations were missing at least one of the ballot boxes, voter register, ballot papers, indelible ink, Biometric voter verification system or declaration of results form," said Ritah Aciro the co-chair steering committee CEON-U.

Explaining the 41%, Aciro noted that CEON-U deployed 1,150 observers to 290 constituencies across 112 districts, to monitor the opening and set-up of different polling stations country wide.

" This includes 700 sample -based  observers to a representative, random sample of 700 polling stations, 2014 hot spots observers, 233 mobile observers  and 23 regional coordinators," stated Aciro.

She noted that at 55% of the polling stations, polling officials of which 40% were women arrived by 6:30am to help in the voting exercise.

In its findings, CEON-U noted that in 99% of the polling stations, at least 5 registered voters were present before the opening of the polling kit.

"99% of the poll officials, sealed ballot boxes before voting commenced. However in 10 polling stations, poll officials didn't seal the ballot boxes," explained Aciro.

According to CEON-National Resistance Movement's (NRM) Presidential candidate Yoweri Museveni had the biggest party agents present in 85% of polling stations.

He was followed by Forum for Democratic Change's (FDC) Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye with agents present in 79% of polling stations, and lastly Independent Presidential candidate Amama Mbabazi with agents present in 39% of polling stations.