Low turn up for Butebo by-election

By Godfrey Ojore, Paul Watala and Lawrence Okwakoli

A big number of voters in two sub-counties of Opwateta and Kibale in Butebo county Pallisa district Thursday boycotted voting over the disqualification of Richard Oseku Oriebo by Electoral Commission on Wednesday.

By 11:00am New Vision  had visited 15 polling stations out of the 18 in all the two sub-counties and voting had not started.
The presiding officers were seated with the ballot boxes sealed since no voter had turned up.

“I have been here since 7am but there are no people so I cannot open the ballot box because I have failed to realize five registered voters to witness the opening of the ballot box,” Sliver Odeke the presiding officer, Otamirio polling station in Kibale sub-county said.

In Aipany polling station in Opwateta sub-county where Oseku was slated to cast his ballot, voters were standing twenty meters away from polling station watching the police that were patrolling.

“We shall not vote, if they want us to vote, they should reinstate our candidate Oseku,” shouted voters as police watched.
However, in Butebo and Kakoro sub-counties the voting started at 8 am but the there was a low turn up.

The presiding officers told New Vision that they arrived on time but they had to wait for five voters to witness the opening of the ballot boxes.

There is however heavy Police deployment at all polling stations.