The National Unity Platform and independent candidates in the Kalangala District Woman MP by-election have raised concern over the integrity of some electoral materials ahead of Wednesday’s polls.
The candidates say several black boxes containing ballot papers and Declaration of Results forms arrived with serial numbers that differed from those listed on Electoral Commission packing documents.
Abed Nasser Mudyobole, the Iganga Municipality MP assigned by NUP to witness the arrival of electoral materials, said the issue affected materials delivered for Mugoye Sub-county.
He said 17 out of 23 boxes for Mugoye had serial numbers that did not match the packing lists provided by the Electoral Commission.
“When we received the materials, we established that 17 black boxes had different serial numbers from those packing lists, an indication that the boxes might have been tampered with, at the EC headquarters in Kampala or during transportation,” he told journalists in Kalangala on Tuesday.
Affected Polling Stations Named
The affected polling stations include Kasekuro Primary School N-N Playground, Betta Primary School MUI-N Child Care Compound, Bbungo Playground, Kasekuro Primary School O-Z Playground, Betta Primary School O-Z, Bugoma Primary School A-M, Kagulube Parish Headquarters and Maboga Nursery School.
Others are Lusozi Buziza Pentecostal Church, Kibanga Landing Site, Bugoma Primary School N-Z, Bumanji Catholic Church, Busanga Primary School, Njoga Landing Site, Kyabwiima Kasenyi Landing Site, Kizira Trading Centre and Serwanga Lwanga Secondary School.
Mr Habibu Buwembo, the NUP national coordinator, said the party raised the matter with the Electoral Commission returning officer for Kalangala, Ronald Agaba.
He said Mr Agaba referred the matter to his superiors instead of authorising the opening of the boxes.
“He said he can’t take a decision to open the ballot boxes to verify whether what is inside is exactly what is meant to be there. So, as a party we are contemplating withdrawing from this process; that initial stage appears to be fraudulent,” Mr Buwembo said.
Independent candidate Hellen Flavia Nagawa asked the Electoral Commission to postpone the election until the concerns over the materials are addressed.
EC Says Boxes Will Be Opened Before Stakeholders
Electoral Commission chairperson Simon Byabakama, who is in Kalangala with other commissioners, said the questioned boxes would be opened in the presence of all stakeholders.
He said the process would help confirm what is inside the boxes before voting proceeds.
“We all know that the voters have a right to vote their candidate of choice and candidates too have voters in these affected polling stations. So, as EC we are going to open those boxes in the presence of the agents of candidates, and security to ascertain what is inside,” he said.
Justice Byabakama said the Commission had set up a complaints desk to handle concerns arising from the electoral process.
“I want to assure all stakeholders in this meeting that any misconduct will be dealt with. If there are any issues you see which are not going on well, you are free to raise them and we get solutions,” he said.
He added that distribution of electoral materials to the 115 polling stations would begin at 12:30am. This, he said, would allow voting to start at 7am as required by law.
“We are going to deploy our Biometric Verification Voters Kits machines and a team is already in place to ensure smooth usage of that technology,” he said.
Observer Raises BVVK Sensitisation Concern
Faridah Lule, the executive director of Ushahidi Foundation Uganda, said the Electoral Commission had not done enough to sensitise voters on the use of Biometric Verification Voter Kit machines.
Ms Lule, whose organisation is observing the election, said her team had spent a few days in Kalangala and noted gaps in voter education.
“Remember many Ugandans had mixed reactions on the usage of BVVK machines during the January General Election. So, we assume even the people in Kalangala have no idea how those machines operate. They were supposed to sensitise voters before they started the process,” she said.
She added: “Some people will assume that since the BVVK machines don’t work during the recent General Election they might actually fail even in the by election.”
Five Candidates Contest Seat
The Kalangala District Woman MP seat fell vacant following the death of Hellen Nakimuli in April.
Five candidates are contesting the by-election. They are NUP’s Irene Nampala, National Resistance Movement candidate Aidah Nabayiga, and independents Hellen Flavia Nagawa, Babirye Sharifa Kaala and Susan Nasuuna.
The district has 42,452 registered voters expected to cast ballots from 155 polling stations across 64 habitable islands.
The number of registered voters has increased by 2,794 within four months.
Before her death, Nakimuli had won the January 15 General Election for a second term. She received 10,609 votes, defeating NRM’s Aidah Nabayiga, who got 9,245 votes out of 19,854 valid votes cast.
The latest dispute over ballot box serial numbers has placed renewed scrutiny on the Electoral Commission as Kalangala voters prepare to choose Nakimuli’s replacement.