Bunyoro premier calls for renewed push to boost voter turnout

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Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom prime minister Andrew Byakutaga has called on the Electoral Commission and other relevant stakeholders to find solutions to the persistent challenge of low voter turnout.

Speaking to New Vision in an interview on January 24, 2026, Byakutaga said he had received information indicating that voter turnout was high during the presidential election but significantly lower during local government elections for LC5 chairpersons and mayors.

His remarks follow reports of low voter participation across several districts in Bunyoro. In Kikuube district, for instance, out of 144,855 registered voters, only 44,672 participated in the LC5 election.

Byakutaga said there was a need for the Electoral Commission and other stakeholders to consistently sensitise citizens and provide civic education on the importance of participating in elections.

He noted that local government elections are particularly important because they involve choosing leaders who are directly responsible for community service delivery. He added that when few people turn up to vote, it can result in the election of unqualified leaders who fail to serve the community effectively.

“People did not embrace the election of their local leaders, and this is not good, so there is a need to double effort in sensitising citizens to always turn up in big numbers to vote, because when leaders go through after they are voted by few people, the population will not hold them accountable claiming that they did not vote for them” he said.

Byakutaga urged the people of Bunyoro not to shun elections but to turn out in large numbers to vote for their leaders as the country prepares to conduct sub-county elections tomorrow, Tuesday, January 27, 2026.

He also applauded Ugandans, particularly residents of Bunyoro, for maintaining peace during the elections and encouraged them to continue promoting peace even after the electoral process.

“As a kingdom, we are happy that we appealed to our people to keep peace and peace was observed; there was no registered case of violence and fighting, so we are thanking the kingdom subjects for keeping peace,” he said.

Byakutaga further congratulated President Yoweri Museveni on his victory in the January 15, 2026, presidential election.

He praised the Bunyoro community for overwhelmingly voting for President Museveni, saying they exercised their democratic right wisely. He noted that the President had delivered peace and stability, enabling Ugandans to engage in development for socio-economic transformation.

"We thank him for offering himself to contest and moving around the Country telling people his agenda for the next five years, which people listened to and voted for him. We thank Ugandans and the people of Bunyoro who voted for him, and as a kingdom, we congratulate him for his victory, and we wish him five years of victory,” he said.

President Museveni’s performance in the Bunyoro region showed strong support, with results indicating 76.11 per cent in Hoima district, 81.60 per cent in Kikuube district, 65.66 per cent in Hoima city, 91.28 per cent in Kakumiro, 87.10 per cent in Kagadi district, 88.02 per cent in Kibale, 77.71 per cent in Masindi, 70.20 per cent in Buliisa and 78.99 per cent in Kiryandongo.