Kabale, Mbarara LC elections start late amid witness shortages

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Ugandans across the country are casting their votes today to elect district chairpersons and representatives for the sub-county councils, but voting in Kabale district has been delayed due to a shortage of witnesses required to initiate the process.

According to the Electoral Commission’s guidelines, at least 10 registered voters must be present at each polling station as witnesses before voting can commence.

At several polling stations across Kabale, voting started later than expected. At the Kabale Municipal Stadium, voting began at 8:53am. However, at the Bugongi (Nyakeirima) polling station, voting had not yet started by 8:58 AM. Similarly, at St. Luke Catholic Church (Kinyungusi Upper), voting was still delayed by 9:02am, while at St. Luke Catholic Church (Nyakahanga), the process began at 9:04am.

In the race for Kabale District Chairperson, four candidates are vying for the position. These include Denis Ndiyomugyenyi Nzeirwe of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), incumbent chairperson Nelson Nshangabasheija, who lost to Nzeirwe in the NRM primaries, Owomugisha Donozio Banga, an independent candidate, and veteran journalist Stephen Jack Rupiha, also running as an independent.

The elections will be decided by voters from 10 sub-counties—Butanda, Kahungye, Rubaya, Kibuga, Kamuganguzi, Kitumba, Buhara, Maziba, Kyanamira, and Kaharo—along with the two town councils of Katuna and Ryakarimira, and the three divisions of Kabale Municipality: Northern, Southern, and Central.

Despite the delays, authorities are hopeful that the voting process will proceed smoothly as the day progresses.

Mbarara

In Mbarara city, the dispatch of election materials started at 6:30am, from the EC head offices in Mbarara city, to the 305 polling stations in the city. The exercise was overseen by the Mbarara City Returning Officer, Violet Atuhuura.

According to Ssenyomo, by 7:00am polling exercise had started at some polling stations like Boma, Kakoba, Kisenyi and Nyamitobora.

He says the exercise is being conducted with the use of the voter’s register as per electoral commission guidelines.

According to the Electoral Commission, only 12 districts in the country, including Sheema, Rubirizi and Rwengo, among others, shall deploy the BVVK for mandatory identification of voters.

Some of the district chairpersons in the Ankole region are unopposed, including Hygiene Kururagire (Mbarara district), Aron Turahi (Isingiro district), Jemima Buhanda (Sheema district), Prosper Twebaze (Bushenyi district) and Richard Owomugasho (Rwampara district).