Voting delays after low voter turnout in Kikuube NRM local govt council primaries
Kikuube NRM administrative secretary Robert Mwebesa said many registered voters did not turn up, while some turned up long after the exercise had concluded.
Voters lining up behind Peter Banura's agent. (Photos by Peter Abaanabasazi)
By Peter Abaanabasazi
Journalists @New Vision
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National Resistance Movement (NRM) primaries for local government councils in Kikuube district have registered a low turnout of voters.
The race for Kikuube district LC5 chairperson party flag for the 2026 general election is between incumbent Peter Banura and former Buhimba town council (TC) clerk Samuel Muganzi.
Buhimba TC NRM party registrar John Byaruhanga, on July 24, 2025, said voting materials, including the register and declaration form, were delivered on time. However, there was a low voter turnout, adding that the voting exercise, which was supposed to start at 10:00am was delayed and started after 11:30am.
In some polling stations, the election process, which includes organising and verifying voters, started at 1:00pm. In areas like Kigaya, polling officers were stopped from reading the registered voters in a bid to wait for other people to come as some were still in their gardens.
Kikuube NRM administrative secretary Robert Mwebesa said many registered voters did not turn up, while some turned up long after the exercise had concluded.
Peaceful
However, Mwebesa said the election has been peaceful since no violent incident was registered.
Former Buhaguzi Member of Parliament, NRM flag-bearer contestant Julius Ahura blamed irregularities that marred the July 17, 2025, primaries for the low voter turnout in the local government council primaries.
The ruling party's primaries are ahead of the 2026 general election.
A 105-year-old woman sharing a light moment with Julius Ahura, the former parliamentary contestant for Buhaguzu East in the recently concluded primary elections.
According to Mwebesa, Kikuube has 130,000 registered voters and 335 polling stations.
By press time, Kikuube district NRM registrar had started tallying the votes at Sir Tito Winyi Primary School in Kiziranfumbi town council.
According to results that were being tallied by Kikuube principal election officer Paschal Musuuga, Peter Banura was leading.