Electoral Commission Uncovers Dual Registration

By Edris Kisambira THE Electoral Commission (EC) has unearthed a number of voters who registered more than once during the recent photographic voter registration exercise in Kampala district.The Electoral Commission said yesterday that the Police had been asked to carry out further investigations and take the necessary action on the cases that have been uncovered and others that may be exposed using the intelligent facial recognition system.Voters who have been identified as having registered more than once include Odiah Charles Kambona (3rd column left) who first registered at Kakajjo I and registered again as Kambona Charles at Kakajjo II villages.Another one identified as Kizza Stephen (2nd column) registered at Market Area and at Kisenyi II villages, while Magayika Rehema (4th column) registered at Kifumbira I and as Sebaggala Rehema at Kifumbira II villages.The others are Namugooma Musa at Market Area and as Ssekandi Musa at Kifumbira I villages and Mugisha Kyansi Charles (1st column on Page 1) at Kifumbira I and as Kyansi Charles at Kifumbira II villages.The EC said it was carrying out a new exercise of identifying double registration cases. The exercise is called a duplicate analysis, using an intelligent facial recognition system.The EC cautioned the public to note that under section 29 (1) of the EC Act, 1997, it is an offence to register more than once as a voter.Upon conviction, the offender is liable to a punishment of imprisonment for one year, or to a fine of sh600,000 or to both.The EC chairman, Al-Hajj Aziz Kasujja, however, said they had not arrested anybody. “No. We have not arrested anybody. We should call each of them. Those who will come will be the genuine ones. We will talk to them and find out why they probably registered twice as voters,” Kasujja told The New Vision in his office last evening.He said a decision would then be made later on whether they should be prosecuted.The photographic voter registration and identification system project started with fresh national registration of voters and taking of their photos in August-September countrywide, and in mid October 2001 for Kampala city.Ends