Elections in new districts marred with irregularities-report

In August 2015, government approved the creation of Kagadi, kakumiro, Rubanda and Omoro as new districts.

The Electrol commission (EC) subsequently announced in June 2016 the programme for parliamentary and local government elections in the respective places in accordance to the parliamentary Election Act which allows elections for new districts to take place.

According to the report by Citizen's Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (CCEDU) , elections in five districts had irregularities like voter bribery, malfunctioning Biometric voter systems and low voters turn up.

 Photos by Wilfred Sanya

The report shows that there was a delay in the voting exercise and some polling stations did not have polling equipment like ink
                                                   
While talking to journalists' at the headquarters of Human Rights Initiative in Kampala, Dr. Livingstone sewanyana chairperson CCEDU attributed the low voter turn up to voter bribery.

"Voters were asking for a fee ranging from shs500 & shs2000 from the different candidates and failure to comply made them hesitant to vote hence affecting the turn up," Sewanyana said.

Sewanyana added that some polling officials arrived late in kakumiro, Kagadi, kabale and Rubanda districts that delaying the poling process.

Polling officials had arrived only in 28 of the 100 polling stations by 6:30am although Omoro had a higher presence of polling officials, on the contrary polling officials in other places were not present by that time," Sewanyana said.
 
Sewanyana added that Voter bribery has been observed in Bubare in Rubanda, agents of NRM and Independent Candidates fought in Kakumiro and 4 people known to be deceased in Kibaale had their names ticked in the voters register as though they had voted.

The report indicates that 84% of people were assisted to vote by unidentified people in the 100 polling stations observed by CCEDU.

"Unidentified people assisted voters in 67 of the 100 polling Stations observed, while election officials and party agents assisted voters in 16 and 14 of the polling stations respectively contrary to the law," the report states.

The report shows that NRM party agents were present in all the five districts with  99 of the 100 polling station observed.

FDC party agents present in Kagadi, Kibaale, Omoro and Rubanda in 78 polling stations observed.

However the report shows that UPC, DP and PP Party agents' presence was limited to Omoro district.

It also indicates that 40% 0f people were not permitted to vote and that could have had a change on the voting results.


The report further indicates that voters are increasingly demanding for bribes from candidates which is a point of concern in the country's electoral processes.
 
It should be noted that the National Resistance Movement (NRM) claimed all the five parliamentary seats in the five new districts.