Villages across Uganda have recorded a low turnout of residents verifying their details as the Electoral Commission’s voter register display exercise for the upcoming Local Council I (LCI) and Women Council elections conclude today.
The Electoral Commission began preparations for the village elections with voter registration, followed by the two-day voter register display exercise, to allow residents to verify their particulars while identifying irregularities such as non-residents, underage voters, deceased persons and duplicate entries before the register is finalised.
At the Terego Alengo Cell display centre in Arua City, where 476 voters are registered, only 106 people had verified their details by midday today. Stella Ropani, the Voter Register Display Officer at Alengo, attributed the poor turnout to complacency among voters, saying many assume the information they submitted during registration is accurate and therefore see no need to verify it.
Osman Ezale, the Electoral Commission Returning Officer for Arua City, urged residents to take advantage of the exercise to resolve any issues before the register is finalised. He also appealed for peaceful participation in the electoral process, warning that complaints that should have been raised during the display exercise will not be entertained afterwards.
In Hoima District, the register display is being conducted across all 319 villages. The District Returning Officer, Hassan Takwana, appealed to voters to verify their names before the exercise closes, stressing that no extension will be granted after today.
Mubarak Sunday, a voter at Buhirigi Primary School display centre in Buhirigi Parish, said he verified his details to ensure he will be able to vote.
In Moroto District, several display officials were seen waiting with voter registers as a few residents turned up to verify their particulars. District Returning Officer Esther Ajwang attributed the low turnout to seasonal migration, saying many residents have left for mining sites and other areas in search of livelihoods.
She said that despite the low participation, about half of the expected voters had verified their details. Ajwang also noted that some National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearers had relocated to contest in other villages, creating confusion over candidates’ places of residence.
Emmanuel Adiaka, a resident of Lolayen Village in Nadunget Town Council, said hunger and economic hardship have pushed village elections down the list of people’s priorities. He argued that candidates should take the lead in mobilising residents to verify their details since they stand to benefit from the votes.
Adiaka also noted that some residents mistakenly believed the electoral process had ended after political parties selected their flag bearers. By midday, many centres in Soroti, including Campswahili B1, Aliabu Cell, Go Down Cell, Akisim, Kengere, Kichinjaji, Madera, Pioneer, Otatai, Acetgwen, Opuyo and Aloet, had received only a handful of voters.
Jannet Amonding, a resident of Opuyo Ward, blamed inadequate public sensitisation. Betty Aguti, LC I Chairperson of Aliabu Cell in Kichinjaji Ward, said the turnout had remained alarmingly low. Teso has a registered voter population of 675,908, comprising 338,473 men and 337,436 women.
Eyu Christine Magezi, the Regional Elections Officer for Eastern Uganda, said the exercise was progressing smoothly across the Teso sub-region without major challenges. She noted that participation is voluntary and cannot be forced.
In Luwero District, display officials said fewer than 10 people visited most centres on the first day, and turnout remained low by midday today. A Uganda Radio Network survey at display centres in Lumu, Kizito, Kavule, Kakookolo, Mabanda and Kasana Market found that only a handful of residents had turned up.
George Namugera, the LC I Chairperson of Kakookolo Village, said many residents believed their details had already been correctly captured during registration, while limited political competition had also reduced interest. Samuel Mukasa, a resident of Kavule Zone, said he did not see the need to travel to the display centre because he was confident his name was already on the register.
URN has established that the Electoral Commission relocated the display exercise from village to parish level after officials raised security concerns, fearing that rival candidates could attack officials or destroy registers in the event of disputes. Luwero District Returning Officer Moses Rwanks Kiconco confirmed that all display centres were operating at the parish level.
Kiconco added that the exercise had largely been peaceful, although residents of Kikeregge Village in Luwero Sub-county had petitioned for the removal of an LC I chairperson aspirant from the register, claiming the individual is not a resident of the area.
In Masaka City, the voter register display also began with low turnout and at several display centres, incumbent LC I chairpersons were helping election officials identify residents and clean up the register. At Cinema Cell in Katwe Ward, Nyendo-Mukungwe Division, only 29 of the 467 registered voters had turned up to verify their particulars. Sereyi Ndawula, the LC I Chairperson of Cinema Cell, who is seeking re-election, said local leaders had stepped in to support the exercise because of poor public participation.
In Mbarara City, Returning Officer Violet Atuhurra said complaint forms had been placed at every display centre to enable registered voters whose names are missing to lodge complaints. She also warned politicians against intimidating voters by falsely claiming they are not residents of particular areas.
Geoffrey Muramuzi, the display officer for Bihunya Cell, said turnout had been low, but officials remained hopeful that more residents would verify their details before the exercise closed. Women Council members will be elected on July 23, while voting for LC I chairpersons will be held on July 28-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
