Candidates seeking election as Local Council One (LC1) chairpersons and members of village women’s committees in Bukomansimbi District have pledged to tackle domestic violence, improve household incomes through agriculture and address security challenges, including stray dog attacks, if elected.
The pledges were made on Wednesday as the nomination exercise for LC1 and village committee positions officially commenced at sub-county headquarters across the district.
The exercise will continue until Sunday ahead of the village elections.
At Butenga Sub-county and Butenga Town Council, aspiring candidates arrived at nomination centres accompanied by relatives, friends and supporters, with some singing campaign songs as they waited to complete the process.
The nomination centres were characterised by long queues as candidates collected forms, submitted required documents and underwent verification.
However, some aspirants were turned away after officials found that their nomination forms were incomplete or lacked mandatory documents, including national identification cards.
Kaweesi Budallah, who is seeking re-election as LC1 chairperson for Butenga C-Kagoyegoye Village, said his track record in leadership gives residents confidence in his ability to continue serving them.
"I always encourage residents to grow cassava and sweet potatoes because no leader can effectively lead hungry people. We shall continue promoting agriculture and monitoring households to ensure they have food security," Kaweesi said.
Richard Ssemujju, an LC1 chairperson candidate for Kiryamenvu Village, pledged to address the increasing challenge of stray dogs, which he said had become a threat to residents.
"We shall work with the community to deal with the increasing number of stray dogs and improve the safety of our villages," Ssemujju said.
Another aspirant, Sande Kasule, who is contesting for the Kigaba Village chairperson seat in Kawoko Parish, said he would prioritise proper land management and encourage residents to respect land boundaries to reduce conflicts.
Candidates vying for positions on village women’s committees pledged to promote peaceful homes, fight domestic violence and empower women with skills and knowledge to strengthen families.
Annet Nangonzi, a candidate for the Kawoko Village Women’s Committee, said she would focus on promoting family harmony and supporting women.
"We shall continue educating women on peaceful families, mutual respect and ways of sustaining their marriages," Nangonzi said.
Bukomansimbi District Electoral Commission Registrar Betty Komugyereko urged candidates to conduct peaceful campaigns and encouraged all eligible aspirants to complete the nomination process before the deadline.
She also reminded voters and candidates that only individuals whose names appear on the official voters’ register will be allowed to participate in the elections.
"No one will be permitted to vote unless his or her name appears in the voters’ register, even if that person is a resident of the village," Komugyereko said.
By the close of business on Wednesday, more than 400 candidates had been nominated to contest for LC1 chairperson and village committee positions across Bukomansimbi District.
The district has 254 villages that are expected to elect LC1 chairpersons and village women’s committees during the forthcoming elections.