Residents of Budonian Village in Kisenyi Parish on Tuesday protested attempts by election officials to relocate their polling station, prompting the deployment of security personnel, including the military, ahead of the Local Council I (LC1) elections.
The residents, who had arrived early for voter verification ahead of the scheduled 11:00am polling exercise, objected after officials attempted to move the polling station from its gazetted location along the main road to another site deeper inside Kisenyi slums.
The proposed relocation sparked protests, with residents insisting they would only participate in the elections from the polling station they said had been officially designated and used in previous elections.
“We have always voted from here. Why shift the polling station now?” one resident questioned.
Another resident said:
“We are not going anywhere. Moving us there could mean they want to interfere with the elections.”
As tensions grew, police and military personnel were deployed to manage the situation and engage residents in an effort to restore calm.
Security officers were seen addressing members of the public and urging them to remain peaceful as discussions continued between residents and election officials.
Following the standoff, the polling station remained at its original location, a decision that was welcomed by residents.
Security officers later took control of the area, directing voters and members of the public to keep outside the polling station as the voter verification exercise got underway.
The reason behind the attempted relocation of the polling station had not been established by the time of publication.