District-level local government elections in Mukono District were marked by an unusually low voter turnout, with several polling stations remaining largely deserted throughout the day, raising concerns over voter mobilisation, civic education, and the preparedness of the Electoral Commission.
A visit to multiple polling stations across Mukono Central Division and Nakisunga Sub-county, including St Paul’s Catholic Parish, St Mary’s Noah Primary School, St Dunstan, and Kyawambogo, revealed a striking absence of voters despite the timely delivery of election materials and the presence of polling officials.
At several polling stations, residents passing by appeared unaware that elections were taking place. Some expressed surprise upon learning that local government polls were underway, while others said they had received no official communication regarding the exercise.
According to Sarah Ndagire, the presiding officer at St Mary’s Noah Primary School polling station, voting was scheduled to begin at 7am, but by 9:30am, no voters or candidate agents had turned up, making it impossible to commence the process.
“This situation made it difficult to open the voting process because there were no agents or witnesses present,” Ndagire said.
Moses Nyombi Salongo, the chairman of Wantoni Cell in Mukono Municipality, said his village has about 2,800 registered voters.
However, more than four hours after ballot boxes were delivered, no voting had taken place.
“It is worrying that after all this time, not a single voter has turned up,” Salongo said, noting that the absence of candidate agents and witnesses further stalled the process.
Residents and local leaders attributed the low turnout to poor public sensitisation, accusing authorities of failing to adequately inform voters about the elections and the role of local government leadership.
Kyansanku Stephen, an area councillor, questioned whether sufficient civic education had been conducted to explain the roles and significance of district-level leaders, noting that many residents appeared unaware of how local leaders influence service delivery and community development.
“Many people simply didn’t know what they were voting for or why it mattered,” Kyansanku said.
Others directly faulted the Electoral Commission, arguing that its voter mobilisation efforts were inadequate, particularly in rural and peri-urban communities.
The situation in Mukono mirrors similar concerns reported in other parts of the country, reigniting debate over voter apathy, civic awareness, and public confidence in Uganda’s electoral processes.