EC boss warns against 'Kanoonye, Kalonde, Kakuume, Kabanje' campaigns

__________________

Uganda Electoral Commission has cautioned presidential candidates against misleading the electorate on the national polling processes scheduled for January 15 to February 6, next year.

In a public statement, Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi, the chairman, expressed concern that during the ongoing campaigns, some presidential candidates are calling on their supporters to not only canvass for votes and participate in voting, but also protect and demand the votes cast. 

In the December 18 statement, Byabakama warned candidates against demanding that their supporters remain at the polling stations under the guise of 'protecting' and 'demanding' their candidates' votes. 

The call, also referred to as a "protest vote", runs under the slogan "kanoonye, kalonde, kakuume, kabanje",  synonymous with the National Unity Platform leader Robert Kyagulanyi and NUP flag bearers at different levels.

In the recent past,  top government officials and military officers have expressed concern over the call, saying that it will lead to overcrowding the polling centres. They also warned that the rival camps at the same site were likely to spark off tension.

Byabakama explained that while the law recognises the right of a voter who has cast his or her vote to stand or sit at least 20 metres away from the polling table, urging voters or non-voters to do so right from the start to the vote counting is unwise.

'Protecting' a candidate's votes, among others, he said, is a responsibility of the two polling agents whom every candidate is at liberty to deploy at every polling station.

Justice Byabakama's statement in full:

THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION

Date: 18TH December 2025

ALL PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

2026 GENERAL ELECTIONS

Re: EC warns presidential candidates against MOBILISING VOTERS TO PROTECT THE VOTE UNDER THE SLOGAN: "KANOONYE, KALONDE, KAKUUME, KABANJE"

The Uganda Electoral Commission has noted with concern the utterances by some Presidential Candidates during the ongoing campaigns, calling on their supporters to not only canvass for votes and participate in voting, but also protect and demand the votes cast.

Under Section 35(1) of the Presidential Elections Act, a candidate may be present in person or through his or her representative or polling agent at each polling station for the purpose of safeguarding the interests of the candidate with regard to the polling process.

Going by the said provision, the responsibility of 'protecting' a candidate's votes, among others, squarely lies with the two polling agents whom every candidate is at liberty to deploy at every polling station.

Similarly, under Section 50(3) of the said Act, a candidate is entitled to be present in person or through his/her representative or polling agent at each polling station throughout the voting and counting of the votes for the purposes of, again, safeguarding the interests of the candidate.

As regards the 'kabanje' (demand) slogan, Section 53(1) (d) of the same Act is explicit that the presiding officer shall hand over a copy of the Declaration of Results (DR) form to each of the agents of a candidate at that Polling Station. It is not for every voter to demand for a copy of the DR Form from the Presiding Officer.

In sum total, going by the above provisions, it is not the responsibility of every voter or individual to safeguard the interests of any candidate at a polling station. Unless a supporter/voter is appointed an agent by a candidate, his/her role stops at the polling. The interests of a candidate are adequately catered for, vide his/her agents.

While the law recognises the right of a voter who has cast his or her vote to stand or sit at least twenty metres away from the Polling table, urging voters or non-voters to do so right from the opening of the Polling Station to the conclusion of counting is likely to give rise to the following:

1. Having a big number of people, who are supporting different candidates, gathered in one location for many hours may result in arguments, disagreement, commotion or physical violence that will disrupt the processes (polling or counting) at the Polling Station.
2. Many Polling Stations, particularly in urban centres, are located in squeezed places, hence keeping the twenty-metre distance may not be observed. This will gravely impact on the secrecy of the ballot.
3. With eight (8) Presidential Candidates and five to twenty or more Parliamentary candidates in many electoral areas, with each candidate having two agents, there is a likelihood of overcrowding in many of these places.

Clearly, as stated earlier, the presence of voters/non-voters near a Polling Station adds no value to the interests of any candidate but, rather, puts at risk the candidates' interests in the event that disruptive/destructive conduct were to break out.

Mindful of those distinct possibilities, the Commission reiterates its position that voters who have cast their vote should go home but can come back at 4 pm to witness the counting, while observing the twenty-metre distance.

As a consequence, candidates are warned to desist from whipping up their supporters not to go away and remain within the vicinity (20-metre distance) of a Polling Station, under the guise of 'protecting' and 'demanding' their candidates' votes.

For emphasis, the absence of voters/supporters in the vicinity of a Polling Station will not jeopardise the interests of any candidate at all. The big number of agents at any one Polling Station is more than sufficient to safeguard those interests.

Justice Byabakama Mugenyi Simon

CHAIRPERSON/ELECTORAL COMMISSION