By KT Reporter
As the National Resistance Movement (NRM) gears up for its parliamentary primaries this Thursday, concerns are mounting over the use of schools as polling stations and the risk of violence disrupting learning. With just hours to the election, the Ministry of Education and Sports has left it to district officials to decide whether schools can be used as polling centers.
Dr. Kedrace Turyagyenda, Ministry of Education Permanent Secretary, clarified that District Education Officers (DEOs) and Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) have the discretion to approve or deny the use of school premises. She stressed, however, that if schools are used as polling centers, learners must stay home to safeguard their safety.
Across Uganda, schools often double as community hubs and are routinely used as polling centers. But with the NRM’s internal elections historically marred by violence, many headteachers and district officials are uneasy. In NRM strongholds, where opposition presence is limited, primaries are often de facto elections, and competition is fierce. Past primaries have seen chaotic scenes.
Even this year, violence has already flared. In Mubende (July 2025), rival camps for parliamentary hopefuls Henry Muhumuza and David Kabanda exchanged gunfire, torched property, and assaulted each other with 16 people arrested. In Sembabule, Special Interest Group primaries were suspended over allegations of bribery, rigging, and fighting.
The Ministry’s stance followed an appeal by Ntungamo DEO Peace Birungi, who noted growing voices arguing that, as internal party processes the primaries should not disrupt schools. She requested clearer guidance from the Ministry, preferably issued in the form of a circular, to address the concerns.
Dr Turyagyenda responded that issuing a blanket national directive is inappropriate because schools’ relationships with their communities vary across the country. She urged headteachers to work closely with district officials to balance community needs with the safety and academic priorities of learners.
Meanwhile, the NRM’s Electoral Commission, chaired by Dr. Tanga Odoi, has distributed election materials nationwide and pledged to deliver free and fair primaries. Security agencies have been deployed to contain violence and intimidation.
Still, public anxiety remains high, with social media posts warning of “familiar fears of violence and malpractice” in several districts-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
