Led by Maria Natabi, the NUP Youth Chairperson for Eastern Uganda, the group is demanding residual elections in areas that recorded inconsistencies. She says this will ensure effective and legitimate representation.
The chairperson of National Unity Platform-NUP youths in Eastern Uganda, Ms. Maria Natabi(in African print outfit) displays part of their petition after handing over the same to electoral commission officials.
The leadership of the National Unity Platform (NUP) in Jinja City and Jinja District has petitioned the Electoral Commission (EC) regional office in Kiira, citing what they describe as extreme electoral irregularities that undermined fair competition in the recently concluded youth elections.
According to the petition, NUP leaders allege that several polling stations, especially in Kakira Town Council, experienced unexplained absenteeism of polling officials. In their absence, NUP claims that candidates aligned to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) declared themselves winners by filling out EC forms without any actual polling taking place.
The party accuses EC officials of connivance with NRM-sponsored candidates to block fair participation, which they say disenfranchised many eligible voters and skewed the outcome of the June 19th youth elections. Led by Maria Natabi, the NUP Youth Chairperson for Eastern Uganda, the group is demanding residual elections in areas that recorded inconsistencies. She says this will ensure effective and legitimate representation.
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Natabi further noted that similar complaints have emerged from several districts in the Busoga sub-region. She has been in contact with youth leaders across the region who echoed concerns of voter intimidation, ballot tampering, and procedural violations.
She urged the EC to act swiftly and organize fresh elections ahead of the parish-level youth polls slated for June 26, 2025.
“If the EC fairly addresses the irregularities registered on June 19th, young people will regain trust in the electoral process and be better represented by leaders who truly reflect their interests,” she added.
In Wairaka B Cell, Kakira Town Council, Benson Were, who stood unopposed for the position of Youth Chairperson, said polling officials refused to declare him the winner or issue him a declaration form.
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Were claims that the same polling officials later informed his agents that fresh elections were held in the evening—this time, allegedly won by an NRM candidate. He says this is evidence of targeted bias and called on the EC to uphold fairness and transparency.
Meanwhile, in Nabulagala B Village, Busedde Sub-county, Banuli Matege, who contested for the Youth Chairperson seat, alleged voter bribery and intimidation by security forces. Matege said NUP supporters were recorded on video and threatened with arrest by men in NRM T-shirts, alongside police and UPDF officers who camped at the polling site.
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He said the threats forced several NUP supporters to flee while others lined up behind NRM candidates out of fear. Matege maintains that only fresh elections can restore confidence in the process.
Efforts to reach the Kiira Regional Election Officer, Deo Natukunda, were unsuccessful as he was reportedly out of office and unreachable by phone. However, a secretary at the EC office who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed receipt of the petition.
