Low turnout mars Kikuube LC5 by-election
At several polling stations, less than 10 people had cast their votes by midday, leaving polling officials idle.
At Kitole and Rwoga polling stations, the polling officials were found seated with no voters. (Photos by Wilson Asiimwe)
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There has been a low turnout of voters in Kikuube district during the by-election organised to fill the position of the district chairperson.
At several polling stations, less than 10 people had cast their votes by midday, leaving polling officials idle.
At Kigaya polling station in Buhimba sub-county, Evelyn Kansiime, a presiding officer, said they have 130 voters in the register, but only nine people had voted by midday.
At Kitole and Rwoga polling stations, the polling officials were found seated with no voters.
Residents of Kikuube District were expected to turn up in huge numbers this morning to cast their votes and to replace the former district chairperson, Peter Banura, who died in an accident on April 4, 2026.
Voting at several polling stations across the district’s 330 polling stations commenced at 8:30am, where a total of 153,186 registered voters were expected to cast their votes.
The race is being contested by Paddy Kisembo of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and Fenekansi Timanyire of the National Unity Platform (NUP).
Speaking ahead of the exercise, Electoral Commission Deputy Spokesperson Paul Bukenya said all preparations had been completed to ensure a smooth, transparent, and lawful electoral process.
Bukenya noted that election materials were delivered on time to facilitate the timely opening of polling stations, and that supervision mechanisms had been put in place to ensure that voting, counting, tallying, and declaration of results are conducted in accordance with the law.
Security has been heightened in several trading centers across the district with heavy presence of both the police and the army.
Godwin Angalia, the Kikuube district Resident District Commissioner, said the presence of heavy security is to ensure peace and order as elections take place.
"We want to ensure that we conduct peaceful elections and so far we haven't gotten any disruption," Angalia said.