Tension is mounting in Lyantonde District ahead of the Local Council I (LC1) chairperson elections, with several candidates expressing concerns over alleged attempts to disrupt voting in some villages and questioning the credibility of voters’ registers.
The candidates contesting for village chairperson positions have appealed to security agencies, district authorities and the Electoral Commission to intervene before polling begins, warning that the concerns could undermine the credibility of the elections.
They allege that groups of youths have been mobilised to intimidate voters and interfere with the electoral process in some areas.
“There are plans to stage protests, assault people and stop them from voting,” some candidates alleged.
The candidates also raised concerns over the management of voters’ registers, claiming that some villages had either not displayed the registers for public verification or contained inconsistencies despite elections being only hours away.
They said the mandatory display exercise, which allows voters to confirm their details before polling day, was either not conducted or was poorly handled in some areas.
“The display exercise never took place in our areas. The sub-county authorities know about the problem, but nothing has been done,” one candidate claimed.
Others alleged that some voters’ registers went missing during transportation.
“We were told the registers were being taken to Mbarara. The taxi driver reportedly handed them over to another vehicle, which ended up taking them to Mitoma, where they remained,” another candidate alleged.
The candidates further claimed that some registers contain duplicate entries, creating confusion over the actual number of eligible voters.
“You find one voter listed twice in the same register, for example at number five and again at number 54,” one candidate said.
They also alleged that some villages have more than one version of the voters’ register, raising questions over which document will be used during polling.
In Rwooma Village, Lyakajjura Sub-county, NRM flag bearer Kosiye Lukooki alleged that some of his supporters were being intimidated with threats of eviction if they voted for him.
“People are being told that if they elect me as chairman, they will be chased away from the land they cultivate and denied access to community resources. Some are allegedly being forced to sign documents and warned that anyone seen supporting me will be beaten and expelled from the village,” Lukooki claimed.
Another NRM candidate, David Kizza, who is contesting for the LC1 chairperson seat in Kamusenene Village, questioned the eligibility of one of his opponents.
Kizza alleged that the independent candidate is not a resident of Kamusenene Village and does not own a home, business or land there.
“The sub-county authorities are aware of the issue, but they say he should be allowed to contest because his father once lived in the village,” Kizza alleged.
The candidates also accused some NRM officials responsible for distributing campaign facilitation funds of failing to release the full amounts allegedly allocated to village flag bearers.
According to the candidates, each NRM candidate was expected to receive Shs150,000, comprising Shs100,000 for village campaign meetings and Shs50,000 to facilitate polling agents and election-related activities.
However, they claimed that while some candidates received Shs125,000, others received Shs100,000, while some reportedly got as little as Shs25,000.
They appealed for enhanced security throughout the electoral process, including during the final verification of voters’ registers, voting and declaration of results.
Kabula County Member of Parliament Enos Asiimwe, who met with the aggrieved candidates, acknowledged receiving their complaints but urged them to remain calm as authorities work to address the concerns.
“These complaints are mainly coming from NRM candidates themselves. I urge everyone to remain peaceful as we engage the relevant authorities to ensure the elections are conducted smoothly,” Asiimwe said.
However, Lyantonde District Election Officer Emon Tusiime dismissed the allegations, describing them as unfounded.
Speaking by telephone, Tusiime insisted that the electoral process had been properly managed and attributed some of the complaints to voters who failed to verify their details during the registration and display exercises.
“The allegations being made by the candidates are not true. Those who failed to confirm their details during the display period are the ones now raising complaints,” Tusiime said.
Lyantonde District has 226 villages. Candidates from the National Unity Platform (NUP) are contesting in only seven villages, while the majority of candidates are from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
