The just concluded local council nomination exercise has been marred by delays, with several aspirants expressing frustration over the prolonged process caused mainly by challenges in verifying National Identification Numbers (NINs).
The exercise, which opened on Wednesday and closed on Friday, was expected to run smoothly. However, technical setbacks left many candidates uncertain of their status, sparking anxiety across districts.
Among those affected were Bridget Asinga and Oscar Akampurira, who described the nomination process as “hectic” and time-consuming due to NIN verification requirements.
Micheal Kwarikunda Mbareba, aspiring for LCV chairperson in Rukiga District, raised concerns that some voters who submitted NINs were not genuine residents.
“We have noticed irregularities in the voter lists. I call on Ugandans to actively participate in the ongoing national identification verification exercise,” Mbareba urged.
Responding to the complaints, Robert Mbaine, Regional Election Officer for South Western Uganda, attributed the glitches to the Electoral Commission’s ongoing database upgrade, which directly affects the software used in the nomination process.
“I admit there are challenges, but the commission is in the process of upgrading its database, and we expect smoother operations going forward,” Mbaine said.
Despite the hurdles, aspirants remain hopeful that the process will pave the way for a credible election as the race for grassroots leadership positions begins.
