As it happened: Municipal elections

 

Presented by Joseph Kizza (@joekizza)

 

Summary

• Generally low turn-out of voters

• Election involved 39 municipalities, including Kampala city divisions

• Voters elected their mayors, directly elected councillors and women councillors

• Voting time: 7.00am until 4.00pm

 

 

 

 

4.35pm:    That's it for now


What a day! Hot weather, I mean . . .

Anyways, there goes the municipal elections, folks. I'll be back, when I can, for more updates on the outcome of these polls. But for now, keep it New Vision and for a lot more election-related content, visit our website dedicated to giving just that.


Good evening!

 

 

 

4.30pm:    The ballot that was

Polling agents using the voters register at a polling station in Kireka

 

 

Voting began at 7.00am in some areas and a little later in others

 

 

Masaka mayoral candidate Mariam Tusiime (Independent) casting her vote on a hot Wednesday

 

 

Masaka municipality incumbent mayor, Godfrey Kayemba Afaayo (FDC) also voted

 

 

The NRM flagbearer for the Municipal Mayoral race in Masaka, George William Kalumba

 

 

Entebbe Municipality's Vincent De Paul Kayanja voted St Joseph’s Catholic sub-parish in Katabi

 

Mzee Maria Rosa Nanyonga was helped by a policeman at St Joseph's sub-parish Katabi

 

 

She wanted only polling officials to assit her, and finally, she cast her vote

 

 

Jinja Mayor Mohammed Baswari Kezaala (right) casts his vote at Rippon Nile A-M polling station in Jinja. He wants to retain the Jinja mayoral seat

 

 

A policeman casts his vote at Mainstreet Primary School polling station in Jinja

 

 

NRM's Majid Batambuze (left) listening to one of his supporters outside Jinja Police Station

 

 

NRM's Jinja mayoral candidate Majid Batambuze casts his vote at Mainstreet Primary School polling station

 

 

And finally, Former state minister for health who is also Rukungiri Municipality NRM chairperson, Dr Alex Kamugisha, casts his vote at Rukungiri main Stadium

 

 

 

 

 

4.00pm:    Polling ends

 

 

 

In focus: Jinja mayoral polls By Doreen Musingo, Jinja correspondent As casting for votes of the Jinja mayor race kicked off, people failed to turn up to cast their votes while at some polling stations voting delayed since materials arrived late. In Walukuba/Masese division in Jinja municipality, most people stayed home, claiming that even if they vote someone of their choice, results would be rigged. In Danida parish in Walukuba/Masese division, by 11:00am voting had not started since they were no voting materials. At central village, some people were barred from voting despite having their national identity cards and were on the voters register. At Rippon Gardens polling station, there was poor turn-out since crime preventers reportedly turned to chasing away people who had come to cast their votes. Jinja mayor Muhammad Kezaala Baswari decried the lack of integrity by presiding officers from Jinja municipality who he said have only turned to vote rigging in the ongoing mayoral race.   After casting his vote at around 2:30pm local time, Kezaala said he had observed voter malpractice especially by the polling officers who were issuing over four ballot papers to particular individuals during the exercise. He said the elections were not free and fair while at some polling stations, people were given over four ballot papers. Kezaala said that most of his agents were also barred from witnessing the elections at the different polling stations. “Most of my agents have been barred from polling stations so that votes can be rigged while others have been beaten and stripped naked.”   Kezaala (pictured above with his wife after voting) claimed that he will not allow to be cheated and that he has a tally center at his home and that once they get all the results he will make a procession along the streets of Jinja town. “What we have observed is not a free and fair election because most people are given over four ballot papers while my agents have been blocked from accessing polling stations. I will not wait for the Electoral Commission but instead declare my own results.” The mayoral race also features Faith Amaro (UPC), Majidu Batabuze (NRM), Kezaala (DP) and Moses Talugende (FDC). Others are James Nelson Mawanda, Zachariah Sserwadda, Fahad Ssewanywa, Ezekiel Bangi Kate – all independents.

 

 

 

3.10pm:    ‘A lot of unfairness'

 
Katembeya says he will not petition the outcome of the mayoral election.

However, he after voting, he complained of imbalances in the electoral process in Mbarara Municipality, which he said was aimed at failing him in favour of his NRM candidate.

He cited the example of Makenke Barracks polling station, where he claimed his agents had been chased away from observation of what was going on, but said he will not contest the outcome.

"There is a lot of unfairness in the process because my people are already being harassed and intimidated. However, I will only go home and continue with my usual business in case the outcome does not go in my favour. I will not waste my time in petitions, but shall keep up until we are victorious.”

 

 

2.40pm:    'Polls best on weekends'

In Mbarara Municipality, Nkokonjeru LC1 chairman Andrew Mugasha Bobie has attributed the low turn up to the Electoral Commission's poor timing of the voting day, reports New Vision’s Aloysius Byamukama.

"This exercise should have been arranged during the weekends to enable government workers vote, because even today, it has not been declared a public holiday.”

 

 

But Mbarara mayoral aspirant and FDC Mbarara district chairman Stanley Katembeya (pictured above) has other ideas. He says voters are few in today’s elections because many were frustrated by the presidential elections on February 18.

"I am very sure many voters in the country are frustrated because of the outcome of the first results and as you can see, very few have come to vote.”

Kateyamba cast his vote at Nkokonjeru Primary School O-Z polling station. He is tussling it out for the third time running, and this time has new NRM opposition in the form of Robert Kakyebezi for the Mbarara mayoral office – after his tormentor and longest-serving Wilson Tumwine lost to Kakyebezi in the NRM primaries.

 
In the immediately above picture, Retired Bishop of Ankole Diocese Elishah Kyamugambi being verified before casting his vote at Nkokonjeru PS O-Z polling station in Mbarara Municipality

1.45pm:    Hot day, voting continues

Former FDC spokesperson John Kikonyogo casts his vote at Muslim Girls Primary School polling station in Busega. He is contesting for Rubaga division mayor.

 

 

 

Yiga Frank, an LC3 candidate, is seen here voting at St. Andrew's Church polling station in Rubaga South.

 

 

 

A voter casts his vote at Maganjo B in Nansana Municipality.

 

 

 

NRM's Moses Nsubuga Wandyaka, a Nansana municipality mayoral candidate, casts his ballot at Kazo Church of Uganda Primary School.

 

 

Polling agents use a biometric machine to verify voters' information during the election of mayors and councilors in Nansana Municipality.

 

1.15pm:    Here and there . . .

DP's George Kagimu, mayoral candidate for Mukono municipality, casts his vote at Vincent AleX Primary School in Mukono Central Division.

 

 

NRM's Charles Ssemanda also cast his ballot at the same place.

 

 

And on a hot Wednesday in Mbarara, this elderly voter has to work his joints to vote at Nyamityobora central polling station in Kakoba division, Mbarara municipality.

 

 

 

 

 

At Nyaburara polling station in Fort Portal, there were not many voters the morning hours [as you can see] but polling officials remained confident that voters would show up.

 

 

 

 

12.05pm:   Voting in Kira Some of the voters and polling officials who turned up for the election of Kira Municipality mayor, directly elected councillors and women councillors at Kungu poll centre and Buwatte poll centre, Kira . . .

 

 

11.40am:    Down the west side . . .

Voting for mayor and councillors going in Fort Portal . . .

 

 

 

 

 

And in Rukungiri, Charles Makuru of FDC, who is the incumbent mayor, looks delighted to have cast his ballot at Rukungiri Town Council Primary School polling station . . .

 

 

Voters at a polling station in Kasese municipality . . .

 

 

 

11.10am:    Bored? Who says?

For these voters at Posta Bulange polling station in Rubaga, there is nothing more entertaining than having a seemingly jolly drunken man sporting a football jersey and dirty slippers putting up a show on the sidelines . . .

 




11.00am:    In Soroti

A child helps his father to cast his vote at Teso Inn North polling station in Soroti . . .

 

. . . and in the same district, this voter sporting a faded cap and T-shirt casts his ballot at Moru-Apesur Primary School.

 

 

 

 

10.40am:   Karangaro Ward polls called off The Electoral Commission has called off the elections for the directly elected councilor for Karangaro ward in Rukungiri municipality due to a mix-up of candidate photos. The Electoral Commission registrar, Pius Ahimbisibwe, says another date will be fixed soon to hold the polls. He says the photograph of Idi Maisho, an FDC candidate, did not appear on the ballot paper and instead there was that of Apollo Muhereza, who is vying for a division seat.  There is also a mix-up of NRM’s Love Turinawe’s photo. “Others will continue voting but directly elected councilors for Karangaro will get another date for it after rectifying the problem,” said Ahimbisibwe. This is from our reporter there Caleb Bahikaho.

 

 

 

10.30am:    'So far so good'

Eight people are contesting for the mayoral seat including incumbent Alfred Martine Aruo in Soroti municipality. The other contestants include FDC's Paul Omer (pictured casting his vote), Charles Elasu of NRM and Aruo an Independent. Aruo lost during FDC's primaries to Omer.

"I have finished to cast my winning vote and I call upon the people who are still at home to come and vote before polls close at 4:00pm," said Omer, adding that he will accept the election outcome later this evening but on condition that the process is free and fair.

"So far so good and I hope it ends that way," Omer who has been the LC3 chairperson Eastern Division said.

 
Other contenders in the race are: David Okurut, Simon Epaja (UPC), Yusuf Shaban (independent), Pascal Amuriat (independent) and Musa Mulindwa, who is also running as an independent.

 

10.15am:    Déjà vu?

The same (low trun-out) can be said of some other places, particularly at Makindye polling station in Kampala.

 
Hope this won't be a repeat of the episode will saw play out in the district elections, in which we saw polling officials afford the luxury of even taking a nap!

9.50am:    In Rubaga . . .

What's going on in Rubaga division, I hear you people ask? Nothing much, as you can tell from the lacklustre atmosphere here at Streams of Life Church polling station.

 

 

 

 

9.30am:   NRM Kampala slip: 'Don't blame KCCA' The Minister for the Presidency and Kampala, Frank Tumwebaze, has said KCCA will be supported against all odds because it had made visible progress. In a press statement, he notes that KCCA should not be blamed for the poor performance of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) in Kampala in the recent presidential and parliamentary elections. Instead, he says, it was a challenge that the party needs to correctly analyse.   "Therefore, those trying give the President biased information against KCCA are only trying to use the challenge of the party's poor performance in Kampala to further their anti-KCCA agendas," says Tumwebaze. Want to read more, check today's New Vision newspaper. Meanwhile, voting is going on in divisions across the city, as well as in other municipalities.

 

 

9.20am:    Features on the paper

In case you were not aware, the ballot papers for use during today's elections are bearing the following features:

• The first column has the full names of each candidate, in alphabetical order

• The second column has a colour photograph of each candidate

• The third column has the name of the party and symbol, or independent candidates’ symbol

• And finally, the fourth column has space where the voter will tick or place a thumbprint as a mark of choice
  
  
  

8.55am:    The ballot speaks

Voting is going on smoothly at Molly and Paul polling station in Makindye division, and pictured here, a youthful voter is keen to negotiate his ballot paper carefully into the ballot box. From a peak into the transparent box, I can see he isn't the first voter here.

Oh, and as verification takes place in the middleground, I can also spot a policeman stand guard in the background . . if you can't see him, pan towards the top-right of the picture!


And if you still can't make out his khaki-clad image, then better check into an optician's.

 

Meanwhile, at Makindye barracks, the turn-out is yet to pick up.

 

8.45am:    Up and running

In Kampala, voting of Makindye division mayor started at exactly 8.00am and the turn-out at Molly and Paul polling station, according to New Vision's Abbey Ramadhan who is at the scene, is "good". Pictured here are voters having their names verified in the voters register before casting their ballot.

 

8.15am:    'Hello afande!'

Here, polling officials await transport to the polling centre in Iganga municipality. And from the look of things, security is pretty much well-guaranteed.

 

8.10am:    Ready and steady

The Electoral Commission (EC) has urged voters to turn up in large numbers in today's municipal elections.

In fact, the EC deputy chairperson Joseph Biribonwa said on Tuesday that by midday the same day, all election materials had already been dispatched to the municipalities and division headquarters. During the district (LC5) elections, there was a significantly ubiquitous low turn-out across the country, and clearly, this is a scene the elections body does not want play out today.

By 7.20am at some polling stations, officials had already got down to work, only the voters were yet to show up.

 

 

7.40am:    Eleventh hour

 

As updates from the municipal elections start seeping through, we will also keep you updated with other election-related developments across land.

On the earlier-mentioned Mbabazi story: his lawyers made an appearance at the Supreme Court on Tuesday, deadline day, with a petition challenging the re-election of President Yoweri Museveni. Lawyers Severino Twinobusingye and Michael Akampurira tore their way through a crowd of journalists who had long awaited their petition, and entered the registrar's office to institute the petition.

In the petition, Mbabazi wants court to nullify the February 18 presidential elections and declare that Museveni was not validly elected as president.

Read details on this in today's New Vision paper.

 

 

7.30am:    What the papers say

Today's New Vision leads with a development from the February 18 presidential elections involving one of the candidates in that race: Amama Mbabazi.

The former Prime Minister, who finished third, behind FDC's Dr. Kizza Besigye and NRM's President Yoweri Museveni, was not content with the results, and he has petitioned court for the outcome to be annuled . . .  at the eleventh hour.

Grab yourself a paper and dive in.

 

 

7.15am:    Voting time

Officially, voting should be under way by now. As usual, polling kicks off as early as 7.00am local time and should end at 4.00pm as the sun (and we've got plenty of it lately) begins to take the descent.

 

In case your eyes skipped the summary at the top of this page, I'll remind you of what we have on today's election menu:

Voters are casting their ballot for municipality/city division chairpersons, directly-elected councillors, and women councillors.


Wake-wakey folks! Time to get voting!

 

 

7.00am:    Good morning!

Hello and welcome along to yet another day of elections. It has been, and it still is, busy times for Uganda in the context of elections. We have had the presidential and parliamentary polls, then elections for district leaders (LC5) and more recently for the regional youth MPs. Today, focus turns on the munipalities and KCCA divisions.

Voters will elect their chairpersons and councillors for municipalities and Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) divisions.

We've got a packed day ahead of us, so stick with us here.