The election for Local Council I chairperson in Karambi No. 1 Village, Karambi Ward, Fort Portal North Division, was marred by disputes that forced electoral officials to repeat the voting exercise.
Three candidates contested for the seat: Herbert Musana (Independent), Christopher Kwezi of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), and Roger Akugizibwe of the National Unity Platform (NUP).The initial vote was conducted at around midday. However, after Musana was declared the winner, supporters of the other candidates rejected the results, alleging irregularities and protesting at the polling station.
The protests prompted police from Karambi Police Station to deploy to the area, after which the Electoral Commission polling assistant ordered a fresh vote.Although the Electoral Commission roadmap required voting and declaration of results to be completed by 12:30 p.m., the repeat exercise extended the process until about 2:00 p.m.
In the second vote, Musana was again declared the winner with 207 votes. Kwezi polled 114 votes, while Akugizibwe received five.
Despite the repeat exercise, Kwezi and his supporters rejected the results, saying they would petition the Electoral Commission. Kwezi alleged that the election was marred by several irregularities, including minors and non-residents being allowed to vote. He also claimed that some of his supporters were misdirected into joining his opponent’s queue.
He further alleged that some voters photocopied voter slips issued by election officials and distributed the copies to unregistered residents, enabling them to vote. Akugizibwe also rejected the results, claiming that some people who voted were not on the official voters’ register.
He said he was surprised to hear the names of people he believed were not registered and called for the voters’ register to be compared with the total number of votes cast. Aisha Kanyunyuzi, a resident, also alleged that minors were allowed to vote, saying this compromised the credibility of the election.
Ibrahim Ssekaja defended the outcome, saying the final results reflected the will of the voters. He blamed Kwezi’s supporters for causing the confusion that led to the repeat election.
Fort Portal City Returning Officer Isaac Byamugisha said voting across the city was generally peaceful, except for a few residents who could not find their names on the voters’ register because they had not registered during the voter registration exercise. Byamugisha advised candidates and voters dissatisfied with the results to follow the Electoral Commission’s established procedures for lodging election petitions-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
