The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Norbert Mao, has clarified that Ugandan law permits voters to remain at polling stations after casting their ballots, amid controversy following remarks by the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, advising citizens to leave.
Speaking during a televised parliamentary debate in Gulu, Mao said that while voting officially ends at 4pm, counting must begin immediately at polling stations and be conducted openly and audibly, allowing voters to observe if they choose.
“The law presumes that voters who are present are witnesses to the counting,” Mao said, noting that citizens are within their rights to stay nearby and observe the electoral process.
His clarification came in response to a question from NBS TV’s Gulu Bureau Chief Benson Ongom, following Gen Muhoozi’s televised statement.
The first son’s call for voters to go home has drawn criticism from opposition figures and civil society, who argue it risks reducing public oversight at a critical stage of elections.
Mao stressed that the issue is not merely about whether voters stay or leave, but whether Ugandans trust the systems protecting their votes.
He noted that while security agencies aim to prevent disorder, transparency is the surest guarantor of peace.
The justice minister’s remarks align with earlier statements by Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka, who said the law allows voters to remain within a 20-metre radius of polling stations.
Both senior legal officers have sought to draw a clear distinction between lawful crowd control and unlawful restriction of citizens’ electoral rights.
Under Uganda’s legal framework, security agencies support the Electoral Commission without managing or influencing the process.
The Uganda Police Force leads deployment at polling stations, while the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces operate in a supportive role under exceptional circumstances.
The clash between Gen Muhoozi’s comments and Mao’s clarification underscores the delicate balance between law, security, and politics in Uganda’s electoral landscape.