A section of contestants in the recently concluded LC1 elections in Busia District has petitioned the Electoral Commission, demanding fresh elections in several villages over alleged irregularities.
The contestants, drawn from Mugungu B in Eastern Division, Bwimini East, Bwimini West and Buyiye villages in Masinya Sub-county, as well as Buhamuna Village in Buhehe Sub-county, among others, submitted their petitions to the Electoral Commission offices in Busia on Wednesday morning.
In their petitions, they allege that the elections were marred by violence, alteration of declaration forms and results, and the participation of people whose names did not appear in the voters’ register. They argue that the alleged irregularities affected the credibility of the election outcomes and want the polls repeated.
Walter Wafula Magero, the NRM Chairperson for Busikho Parish, who led a group of complainants from Masinya Sub-county, said the elections in their villages should be nullified because they were not conducted in accordance with the Electoral Commission guidelines.
He alleged that some children and other unregistered people were allowed to vote, while violence disrupted the exercise. Florance Makokha, the NRM flag bearer for Buyiye East Village, alleged that her opponent colluded with the presiding officer to use a forged voters’ register during the election.
Hamphrance Onyango said he declined to vote after discovering that some youths were being allowed to cast ballots using only national identity cards despite their names not appearing in the voters’ register. He appealed to the Electoral Commission to order a repeat election in which only registered voters are allowed to participate.
Charles Juma Yanga, a contestant from Mugungu B Village, said the election was disorganised because voters were directed to different polling stations, with some voting near the Busia border while others cast their ballots at the polling station located near the home of persons with disabilities in Mugungu.
He said the confusion affected the credibility of the election and called for a fresh poll at a single polling station. Hillery Mangeni Ajooga, another contestant from Bwimini West, alleged that violence broke out shortly after voting, leading to the destruction of declaration forms.
He said he had petitioned the Electoral Commission seeking justice. Busia District Returning Officer Joan Aduru confirmed receiving several complaints from contestants dissatisfied with the LC1 election results.
She said some complaints are being handled at the district level, while others have been forwarded to the Electoral Commission headquarters for further consideration. Busia Resident District Commissioner Hajira Namagogwe said the elections were generally peaceful and credible despite a few complaints raised by some contestants. She advised those dissatisfied with the election results to seek legal redress through the courts-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
