What I’m saying is the truth, nothing but..

SIR— I wish to convey my testimony to the parliamentary committee investigating the election violence and mess in the presidential, parliamentary and the just concluded LC elections.First of all, the officials responsible for enlisting capable Ugandans for electoral duties employed mostly relatives or close friends, without minding about the minimum qualifications. For example, those involved in the voter photographic identification system, registration, civic educators, polling assistants and presiding officer had to have at least O-level. But this was not so; and as expected, the mess was reported, because most of these people did not fully understand English.Secondly, sometimes those involved in conducting elections were either close relatives or friends of some of the candidates contesting. For instance , in one sub-county in Wakiso district, a daughter to one of the former candidates to LC3 councillorship, was one of the presiding officers at one of the polling stations in the very area her mother was standing as a candidate.Furthermore, some other candidates on the polling day hire boda bodas and taxis, lorries and buses to ferry voters. If a particular candidate’s agents fail to convince the voters, the agents move around the electoral area lying to voters that elections have been postponed or that election materials, e.g. ballot papers, are finished.Another problem is involvement in elections by security agents, high ranking government officials and powerful politicians has greatly contributed to the mess in the just concluded elections. I appeal to the parliamentary committee to take my testimony as true.Robert KayigaLC3 CouncillorNangabo Sub countyWakiso District