EC ready for Nebbi byelection

Hajati Aisha Lubega addressing journalists at the EC head offices in Kampala on Tuesday Photo by Mpalanyi Ssentongo 

The Electoral Commission (EC) says all is set for the byelection in Nebbi district.

The EC will hold the byelection on Thursday to fill the position of the district chairperson and other lower political positions. 

The seat of the district chairperson fell vacant following the death of the chairperson, William Esrom Alenyo. 

Polling will take place at 223 voting stations and a voters' roll with 121,856 voters has been prepared for the election.

"The commission has issued a copy of the voters' register to participating candidates to enable them, through their agents, ensure that only eligible persons are allowed to vote during the by-election….," the EC deputy chairperson, Hajat Aisha Lubega, said.

She was addressing the press at the EC headquarters in Kampala yesterday. Flanked by commissioners, Lubega explained that the EC will also hold residual elections for LCI and LCII chairpersons in 149 villages and 12 parishes on July 25. 

In these villages where residual elections will be conducted, the candidates in the July 10, 2018 LCI polls, got the same number of votes. Uganda had held the previous LCI elections 15 years earlier. 

Lubega added that elections for interim LC5 chairpersons and councillors in the seven districts that came into effect this month will take place on July 25.

These include; Madi-Okollo, Karenga, Kalaki, Kitagwenda, Kazo, Rwampara and Obongi. But the EC will not hold elections for woman parliamentary positions due to inadequate funds. The EC will spend over sh900m on the elections taking place between July 11 and 25. 

Lubega said elections for interim leaders in Kikuube and Bugweri districts which came into effect in 2018 have not been held over disagreements on whether they should have provisional leadership or wait for the 2021 elections. 

The EC also said it has never been informed by the House that the Hoima district woman parliamentary seat fell vacant. 

The Hoima district Woman MP, Tophas Kaahwa, chose to become the female representative for the new Kikuube district without an election. Hoima was split to create Kikuube.  

The NRM selected Harriet Mugenyi as its flag bearer for the Hoima district parliamentary seat after the position fell vacant. But the EC has not conducted a by-election to get a substantive woman MP for Hoima district.

"We are not aware of the vacant position in Hoima. We shall organise and hold that byelection as soon as we are informed," Lubega stated. The electoral body said it requires sh3.5b to conduct elections to fill all vacant positions.