Violence, Rains Mar Village Youths Elections

The elections of village youth committees have been disrupted by heavy rains and protests from candidates following the locking out of some youths from the exercise.

According to the Electoral Commission guidelines, the polls were scheduled to start at 9:00 am and end at 4:00 pm. Eligible voters are youths aged 18 to 30, listed on the Special Interest Groups (SIGs) Youth Register.

The elections started at 11:00 a.m. in Luwero town council with the verification of the voters and later voting by lining up. 

However, at New Africa Primary Polling Station in Luwero town, the elections ended in chaos after Yusuf Kiggundu, a candidate for National Unity Platform for Kiwogozi zone Youth Chairperson seat, attacked the polling officials led by Parish supervisor Betty Namakula and attempted to tear the register, accusing them of locking out his supporters.

Policemen restrained Kiggundu and pleaded with him to line up for elections in vain before he walked out of the polling station. 

Kiggundu accused the presiding officer, Joseph Kiyingi, of conniving with NRM candidate Kintu John to rig the elections by locking out his voters.

Kiggundu also accused his rival of bribing voters with money and food.

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Despite the walkout of all NUP supporters, Kiyingi presided over the elections where Kintu emerged the winner with 37 voters. Kiyingi was later whisked away by the Policemen to save him from being lynched by angry NUP supporters who accused him of presiding over sham elections.

Kintu accused NUP supporters of indiscipline and lack of support, which forced them to walk away in fear of defeat.

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At Kasana Market Polling station in Luwero town, Hawa Nalugo Sempa, the NRM candidate for chairperson seat, also walked out in protest against the polling officials for locking out Sarah Nabuuma, a contestant for the Vice Chairperson seat.

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Despite the protests, Aminah Namaganda Ssempa, the Electoral Commission Supervisor for Luwero Town Council, ordered the elections to proceed, and Swaleh Mubiru (NUP) declared the winner of the youth committee chairperson seat for Kasana market zone after scoring 12 votes.

The Electoral Commission officials insisted that those locked out came after verification of voters had ended and elections were ongoing.

In the Semuto town council in Nakaseke district, protests were also reported at Nkuzongere and Church zone polling zones over the locking out of the supporters.

From Masaka city,  Ronald Lule, the NUP candidate who was contesting for the youth Committee Chairperson for Kibisi village, also walked out in protest after he was blocked from the exercise because his name was missing in the register.

Lule said he was lawfully nominated when his name was in the register, but was shocked to find it missing during the polling day.

“What we witnessed here was not an election; NRM candidates just shared the positions amongst themselves, because I and other voters were deleted from the register. We have gathered the evidence about these irregularities,es and we shall petition the Electoral Commission to nullify the elections,” Lule said.

At the Market cell polling station in Nyendo Township, the voting did not take place after the voters protested against the relocation of the polling station to another venue.

The rowdy voters made it impossible for the election officials to conduct the election before it was called off.

Muhammad Musisi Nadduli, the Masaka City Electoral Commission Returning Officer, said he was waiting for full report from all polling stations to comment.  

From Gulu city, a heavy morning downpour that lasted hours disrupted the election for youth committees across various villages within the area.  Across the city, the majority of the polling stations began elections past midday as electoral officials, candidates, and the voters took shelter away over the rains.

At Holy Rosary Cell in Pece-Laroo Division, the voting exercise was also shifted from the usual polling station to the nearby Holy Rosary Primary school because of the downpour.

Emorut Peter, from the Electoral Commission Officer in charge of Northern Uganda and Karamoja regions, said the heavy rains delayed the elections, but they were later conducted and ended peacefully.

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In Moroto, the voting exercise was marred by low voter turnout and most candidates from the NRM party were declared unopposed.

Paul Lokong, the Lia parish election officer in Katikekile Sub County noted that in Singila village, only 43 voters turned up to vote for the youth chairperson out of 195 registered voters.

Regina Ngorok, a presiding officer for the RTC village in North Division, shares the same experience, stating 35 out of the 379 voters registered in the RTC village turned up to vote. 

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 From Jinja city, the Kiira regional electoral commission officer, Deo Natukunda, said that, the electoral process ended peacefully despite complaints from candidates that voters were not aware of the exercise and many didn’t turn up as expected.