Candidates planning to transport voters over low turn up

Political candidates at division level from different political parties in Bunamwaya division have expressed fears that voters may not turn up at all on the day for voting leaders at division level

Their fears have emerged following a very low turn-up of voters during the election of leaders at district levels.

On Wednesday, Uganda held another set of elections to vote officials to represent their local areas across the country.

Some of the leadership positions Ugandans voted for include; electing a Lord Mayor specifically for Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), District LC5 chairpersons, directly elected councilors and women councilors

During presidential and parliamentary elections, there was a massive turn-up of voters at most polling stations if not all countrywide.

A policeman takes a nap at Shoprite polling station. Photo by Juliet Lukwago

However, when it came to election of local leaders, the voter turn-up was very low especially in some of the places in Bunamwaya division that New Vision visited.

Aisha Namanda, contesting for Woman Councilor LC3, on FDC ticket said "Very few people have turned up to vote for district representatives. This is very discouraging and I am scared that people may not turn up at all to vote for us on the 9^th of March".

 "It is as if people do not value leadership at local levels. This picture of few people turning up to vote has left me worried. I am going to look for money, hire about two taxis to transport my supporters on that day" Namanda added.

Faisal Walakira, contesting on the position of councilor, LC3, Bunamwaya division said following the low turn-up, he plans to start moving from one home to another, pleading with residents to turn up in big numbers and vote on the day of electing councilors early next month.

Walakira said election of local leaders was not given much publicity by different stakeholders and therefore many people did not know the dates for voting such leaders, thus the limited turn-up.

Nasifu Mulumba, 30, contesting for male youth representative, Busingiri-Nyanama, village, Bunamwaya division, Wakiso district noted that reason most people did not turn up to vote was because most of them do not know different candidates contesting for what positions.

"Most people contesting for different political positions at local level are not known, people just see their posters but do not know who is who. This is the weakness of the contestants because they did not go into people campaigning and therefore people do not see the reason to vote people they do not know an whether they will deliver after voting them," he said

Just like Namanda, Mulumba said he will mobilise fellow youth who they are vying for same position, bring together some money, hire a few taxis to transport their supporters to the polling station at Makindye Ssabagabo Municipality in Ndejje.

"I do not know whether it is illegal to transport one's supporters to the polling station. But the way  I see the situation with what has happened, voter turn-up is likely to be very low when voting leaders at division level, and transporting our supporters is the only option considering most those that vote are old people who may not have energy to walk to the polling station," said Mulumba.

Jane Namatta, a shop keeper said she did not vote because she did not know the people that had contested and did not want to waste time voting people she was not sure would perform effectively to ensure things like dusty roads in her area are addressed.

At Aggrew Memorial Secondary School in Bunamwaya trading centre,  Standard Junior S.S, Nfuufu-Zone polling stations, Bunamwaya division, Wakiso district, voting materials arrived as early as 7:00am, polling officials were present by that time, but voters came in one at a time.

There are over 3000 registered voters at Aggrew Memorial Secondary School with four polling stations and over 4000 registered voters at Standard Junior S.S with four polling stations but by midday, none of the polling stations at these places had registered more than 200 voters.