Voting at a polling station in Kyebando, Kampala, was briefly disrupted on Tuesday after supporters of rival Local Council I (LC1) chairperson candidates clashed over access to the voting area, prompting the deployment of the military to restore order.
The confrontation occurred at St Paul Primary School in Kyebando Centre Zone, where residents had gathered to elect their LC1 chairperson. Supporters of incumbent chairperson Lazarus Kagimu, who is contesting as an independent candidate, reportedly took control of the entrance early in the morning and allowed entry only to people they identified as their supporters.
The move angered rival candidates, including the NRM’s Hajji Musa Nsereko and independent candidate Samuel Mwanje, who accused the group of preventing some eligible residents from exercising their right to vote. Several residents were caught up in the confusion, with some forced to remain outside the polling area even after their names had been called from the voters’ register.
Ronald, a resident of Kyebando Central Ward who said he has lived in the area for 19 years, expressed concern that the actions of some candidates and their supporters were denying eligible voters an opportunity to participate in the election. He said residents had turned up to choose their leaders but instead found themselves caught up in disputes between competing camps.
The standoff created tension as residents pushed to gain access to the polling area while rival supporters argued over who should be allowed inside. Police officers initially monitored the situation as the disagreement unfolded. However, when tensions escalated, the military was deployed to restore order and regulate access to the polling station.The intervention brought the situation under control, allowing the voting process to resume. Several residents accused some candidates’ agents of using their positions at the polling station entrance to frustrate voters believed to support rival candidates. They argued that access to the polling area should have been managed exclusively by election officials rather than supporters of any candidate.
The incident added to isolated reports of election-related disputes across the country, despite the LC1 elections generally getting underway peacefully in most areas-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
