Local Council One (LC1) elections in parts of Wakiso and Masindi districts were disrupted on Tuesday by controversy and an unusual lack of candidates, with voting stalling in one village over disputes about the voters’ register while another failed to hold elections after no one expressed interest in contesting.
In Bamutakudde Village, Wakiso District, voting for the LC1 chairperson was thrown into confusion after residents rejected the voters’ register, claiming it contained names of people who do not reside in the village. The exercise stalled shortly after election officials completed reading out the register and began issuing voting slips. By 11:40 a.m., polling had not started despite the Electoral Commission timetable indicating that voting should have been completed and counting underway.
The race attracted three candidates: Lule Badru Ssozi Kirwana of the National Unity Platform (NUP), Solomon Serwanjja, an Independent, and David Kyambadde Zziwa, also an Independent. Tensions escalated after residents accused election officials of allowing people from neighbouring villages to participate in the election. The disagreement divided the community, with some insisting that only current residents should be allowed to vote.
Jimmy Kyambadde, one of the election officials, defended the register, saying everyone whose name appears on the official voters’ register is eligible to vote regardless of whether they currently reside in the village. However, resident Annet Namuyaba rejected that position, insisting that outsiders should not determine the leadership of Bamutakudde. The standoff left the election at a standstill as residents refused to allow voting to begin until their concerns were addressed.
By the time of filing this report, no security personnel had been deployed to the polling station, and election officials were still attempting to calm the situation. It remained unclear when voting would commence. Meanwhile, in Kyetungamye Village, Kijunjubwa Sub-county in Masindi District, the Electoral Commission called off the LC1 election after no candidate came forward to contest the position.
Masindi District Returning Officer Gastervas Kakaire said even the incumbent chairperson did not pick nomination forms, making Kyetungamye the only village among the district’s 418 villages without a candidate. Kakaire said voting would proceed in the remaining 417 villages, adding that the Electoral Commission would conduct voter education and mobilisation in Kyetungamye before organising fresh elections.
He urged eligible voters to participate peacefully in the elections, noting that the lining-up voting system promotes transparency. Kakaire also warned that anyone attempting to disrupt the electoral process would be arrested and prosecuted. The LC3 Chairperson for Kijunjubwa Sub-county, Geofrey Kwikiriza, confirmed the absence of candidates and said local leaders would work with the Electoral Commission to encourage residents to contest the position in the next exercise.
According to Kakaire, a total of 844 candidates were nominated for LC1 chairperson positions in Masindi District, comprising 800 men and 44 women. Of these, 386 are from the National Resistance Movement (NRM), 480 are Independents, two represent the National Unity Platform (NUP), two are from the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), one is from the Democratic Party (DP), and two are from the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF)-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
