A Local Council One (LC1) election in Kibaati Village, Mubende Municipality, was suspended after confusion erupted when an Independent candidate withdrew from the race and directed his supporters to back the National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate, prompting the National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate to walk out of the voting process.
The election attracted three candidates: John Zziwa of the NRM, Jude Kezaala of the NUP, and Vincent Kamukama, an Independent candidate.
Anticipating possible unrest, election officials restricted access to the polling station by allowing only registered voters into the fenced voting area while keeping members of the general public outside.
Kalema Musa, one of the officials overseeing the election, said the restrictions were intended to ensure a peaceful and orderly voting process.
"We only allowed registered voters into the polling area to maintain order and avoid interference from non-voters," Musa said.
After the voters' register had been read out and residents lined up behind their preferred candidates, drama unfolded when Independent candidate Vincent Kamukama realized he had attracted only a handful of supporters. He subsequently withdrew from the race and publicly urged his supporters to join NUP candidate Jude Kezaala.
The move angered NRM candidate John Zziwa, who also walked out of the election and instructed his supporters to leave the polling area, leaving only Kezaala's supporters in the queue.
Election officials attempted to count the voters in Kezaala's line, but the exercise was repeatedly interrupted before eventually being halted.
Returning Officer David Mwanka said it had become impossible to continue with the exercise following the unexpected developments.
"The process could not continue under the prevailing circumstances. We had to suspend the exercise to ensure transparency and maintain public confidence," Mwanka said.
According to witnesses, officials attempted a second count before another interruption occurred, including a phone call received by the presiding officer, further fueling suspicion among Kezaala's supporters.
NUP candidate Jude Kezaala accused election officials of unnecessarily delaying the declaration of results.
"Our supporters remained in the line as required, and we expected the results to be declared. The repeated interruptions raised unnecessary concerns," Kezaala said.
Independent candidate Vincent Kamukama defended his decision to withdraw and endorse the NUP candidate.
"I realized I had no realistic chance of winning. I decided to support another candidate whose ideas I believed in," Kamukama said.
NRM candidate John Zziwa maintained that the process had become unfair and called for a fresh election under clear guidelines.
"The developments changed the nature of the election. The exercise should be repeated in a transparent and credible manner," Zziwa said.
NUP supporters remained at the polling station chanting slogans and demanding that their candidate be declared the winner, arguing that he was the only candidate left in the queue.
However, Returning Officer David Mwanka announced that the election had been suspended and that residents of Kibaati Village would be informed of a new date for fresh polling.
"We shall communicate another polling date after completing the necessary consultations to ensure a free, fair and peaceful election," Mwanka said.
