Kampala City elects mayor today
Mar 13, 2011
<br>KAMPALA residents today vote for the mayor and councillors for the city. Elections will be conducted from 7:00am to 5:00pm in all the 1,440 polling stations.
By Josephine Maseruka
KAMPALA residents today vote for the mayor and councillors for the city. Elections will be conducted from 7:00am to 5:00pm in all the 1,440 polling stations. Today has been declared a public holiday for only Kampala district.
The election of the Kampala mayor flopped on February 23 when violence broke out after reports that voting started before the prescribed time and that there had been ballot stuffing and rigging. Consequently, the Electoral Commission (EC) cancelled the elections.
EC yesterday warned candidates in the Kampala mayoral race against ferrying in people from neighbouring districts to destabilise the polling process.
The commission’s boss, Eng. Badru Kiggundu, told journalists in Kampala that no convoys would be allowed to move between polling stations.
“Whoever engages in this unbecoming habit is warned that the law of the land will catch up with you.â€
Kampala Metropolitan Police chief Grace Turyagumanawe assured Ugandans of tight security to secure everyone in the capital city, including property and businesses.
“We cannot impose a curfew. Although it is a public holiday, people doing private business are encouraged to go on with their business. What we will not allow are people who have no business at the polling stations,†he said.
On the heavy security deployment in the city and the suburbs, Turyagumanawe stated: “We won’t wait until a crime is committed and then deploy our officers. Actually, we are going to deploy more security from village to parish levels. We do not want to take any chances.â€
He warned that no hooliganism, chaos or any disruption would be allowed before, during and after the polls.
Turyagumanawe urged the public to be vigilant and report any suspected incident to Police on the toll-free line 0800200071.
He appealed to eligible voters to turn up in big numbers to exercise their constitutional right.
The six mayoral candidates are Pastor Peter Ssematimba (NRM), Erias Lukwago (independent), Edward Babu (independent), Michael Mabikke (SDP), Emmanuel Tumusiime (Forum for Integrity in Leadership) and the lone woman contender, Sandra Ngabo, an independent.
Kiggundu said to ensure there was no ballot stuffing, election materials would be delivered to all polling stations this morning.
The EC has also advised each candidate to appoint an agent to accompany the polling materials from the commission’s warehouse in Kyambogo at 5:00am, and polling officials and constables to be at the centres by 5:45am to receive the materials.
To avoid any congestion at the polling stations, only EC supervision staff, polling officials, who include presiding officers, polling assistants, polling constables and orderly officers, will be allowed.
Others to be allowed are candidates for chairpersons and councillors, two official candidates’ agents, accredited election observers and security officers.
Kiggundu said much as journalists were stakeholders in the electoral process, they would not be allowed at polling stations so as not to interfere with people’s privacy.
“They can wait outside the polling station to interview anyone but not in the polling station.â€
KAMPALA residents today vote for the mayor and councillors for the city. Elections will be conducted from 7:00am to 5:00pm in all the 1,440 polling stations. Today has been declared a public holiday for only Kampala district.
The election of the Kampala mayor flopped on February 23 when violence broke out after reports that voting started before the prescribed time and that there had been ballot stuffing and rigging. Consequently, the Electoral Commission (EC) cancelled the elections.
EC yesterday warned candidates in the Kampala mayoral race against ferrying in people from neighbouring districts to destabilise the polling process.
The commission’s boss, Eng. Badru Kiggundu, told journalists in Kampala that no convoys would be allowed to move between polling stations.
“Whoever engages in this unbecoming habit is warned that the law of the land will catch up with you.â€
Kampala Metropolitan Police chief Grace Turyagumanawe assured Ugandans of tight security to secure everyone in the capital city, including property and businesses.
“We cannot impose a curfew. Although it is a public holiday, people doing private business are encouraged to go on with their business. What we will not allow are people who have no business at the polling stations,†he said.
On the heavy security deployment in the city and the suburbs, Turyagumanawe stated: “We won’t wait until a crime is committed and then deploy our officers. Actually, we are going to deploy more security from village to parish levels. We do not want to take any chances.â€
He warned that no hooliganism, chaos or any disruption would be allowed before, during and after the polls.
Turyagumanawe urged the public to be vigilant and report any suspected incident to Police on the toll-free line 0800200071.
He appealed to eligible voters to turn up in big numbers to exercise their constitutional right.
The six mayoral candidates are Pastor Peter Ssematimba (NRM), Erias Lukwago (independent), Edward Babu (independent), Michael Mabikke (SDP), Emmanuel Tumusiime (Forum for Integrity in Leadership) and the lone woman contender, Sandra Ngabo, an independent.
Kiggundu said to ensure there was no ballot stuffing, election materials would be delivered to all polling stations this morning.
The EC has also advised each candidate to appoint an agent to accompany the polling materials from the commission’s warehouse in Kyambogo at 5:00am, and polling officials and constables to be at the centres by 5:45am to receive the materials.
To avoid any congestion at the polling stations, only EC supervision staff, polling officials, who include presiding officers, polling assistants, polling constables and orderly officers, will be allowed.
Others to be allowed are candidates for chairpersons and councillors, two official candidates’ agents, accredited election observers and security officers.
Kiggundu said much as journalists were stakeholders in the electoral process, they would not be allowed at polling stations so as not to interfere with people’s privacy.
“They can wait outside the polling station to interview anyone but not in the polling station.â€