Sparse turnout delays voting in Kikuube LC5 byelection
The byelection was organised to fill the vacancy left by the death of former district chairperson Peter Banura, who died in a road crash on April 4, 2026.
Election officials verify a voter using Biometric Voter Verification (BVV) machines during the electoral process. (Credit: Pete Abaanabasazi)
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Low voter turnout in the Kikuube LC5 chairperson byelection on Thursday caused delays in the start of voting at several polling stations, with election officials struggling to secure the minimum number of voter witnesses required to open polling centres.
The byelection was organised to fill the vacancy left by the death of former district chairperson Peter Banura, who died in a road crash on April 4, 2026. Banura, a son of Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Matayo Kyaligonza was knocked dead by a speeding taxi in Butyamba-Kamusunsi village, Kiziranfumbi town council, on the Hoima-Fort Portal highway.
The race pits National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Paddy Kisembo against National Unity Platform (NUP) flag bearer Fenekansi Timanyire.
Paddy Kisembo (centre) lines up with other voters as they wait to cast their votes. (Photo by Peter Abaanabasazi)
Brian Kasangaki, the presiding officer at Rwetagi Primary School A to KW polling station, said voting materials, including the register, ballot papers and declaration forms, were delivered on time.
However, he said there was a low voter turnout, adding that the voting exercise, which was supposed to start at 7:00am, was delayed and only commenced after 9:30am.
"We delayed starting because of the poor turnout. The guidelines require starting the process with 10 voter witnesses, but by 8:30am, we had not received the required 10 witnesses," he said.
He added that because voters were arriving one at a time, only 18 people had voted by 10:00am.
At some polling stations, activities such as organising polling materials and voting began between 8:30am and 9:00am.
She noted that at the polling station, which has 490 registered voters, only 12 people had voted by 10:40am.
Speaking in a telephone interview, Emmanuel Twine, the Kikuube district returning officer, said the election exercise was progressing smoothly.
He noted that the main challenge reported at most polling stations was the low voter turnout, which delayed the commencement of voting.
He said more than 60 Electoral Commission supervisors had been deployed across the district, with each supervisor overseeing five polling stations.
According to Electoral Commission guidelines, voting was scheduled to begin at 7:00am and end at 4:00pm. However, the returning officer declined to state whether voting hours would be extended following the delayed start.
Peaceful elections
However, Kikuube resident district commissioner Godwin Angalia said security personnel had been deployed to maintain law and order, adding that each subcounty was being supervised by a district police commander (DPC), while each polling station was manned by a police officer.
He said the byelection had remained peaceful, with no incidents of violence reported.
Paddy Kisembo displays his ballot paper after casting his vote. (Credit: Peter Abaanabasazi)
Speaking to the media shortly after casting his vote at A to KW polling station, Paddy Kisembo said voter turnout had been low at most polling stations he had visited, but he expected more voters to turn up later in the day.
He said he was hopeful of winning the by-election with 90 percent of the vote.
"Most of the voters here are farmers, I think they are still in their gardens and have hope that as it goes on, they will show and exercise their rights," Kisembo said and urged voters to leave whatever they are doing and embrace the exercise for the good of the district.
Jennipher Kabashambo, the western region coordinator of the Global Observation Mission, who was leading a team of more than 50 election observers, said the low turnout indicated inadequate civic education.
"The low turnout we are seeing in these elections is a wakeup call that we should double effort in sensitising the citizens to know that they have a right to vote and why they are supposed to vote."