On Thursday, the country went to the polls for the highly anticipated National Youth elections for youth to elect their Village Youth Council members, however the process was marred by chaos, low voter turn, late arrival of officials, missing voter registers, voter manipulation, military and police intimidation and threats to opposition supporters that disrupted elections in different parts of the country.
In Ganda Village, Wakiso District where National Unity Platform (NUP) candidates won all the positions, tensions gathered ta Ganda Polling centre after the National Resistance Movement (NRM) chairperson of the village allegedly bought and distributed water and snacks to voters, an act that opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) members condemned as bribery.
In Lusanja, Wakiso district, the polls were disrupted after the Electoral Commission officials allegedly attempted to use the NRM register instead of the official youth voters’ list, an act which was protested by the NUP.
In Entebbe, UPDF officers were accused by NUP voters of denying them access to the voting areas, at some polling center’s, NUP candidates and supporters withdrew citing security intimidation and threats.
In Kalangala District, Mweena Village, there was drama after a voter run away with the Electoral Commission forms after allegations that several registered voters had been removed from the EC register and blocked from voting.
This followed earlier concerns shared by the area Woman MP Hellen Nakimuli on Wednesday evening of security agencies who had visited the island and held consultation meetings with the local security officials to arrest NUP youths in order to stop them from voting in Thursday’s elections.
In Mutungo, Nakawa East there were allegations of the violent disruption of the polls by NRM party members led by one Abu turning the peaceful process chaotic which prompted the Police and Military to fire live bullets and teargas.
In Luweero District, Kiwogozi zone, NUP Candidate kassim Muyingo walked out of the polls after police and Electoral commission officers allegedly locked out his supporters from voting, he was later forced out of the voting area by armed policemen.
At Kijjwa Zone in Makindye Division the polls were disrupted after a youth snatched the results sheet and tore it up during the vote counting.
At Kanyogoga Police station, Makindye Division chaos erupted after Police arrested Musa Kato, the NUP candidate, over allegations of tampering with the voters’ register. This was after Kato accused NRM’s Godfrey Byalimana of overseeing an unfair process, including the registration of unauthorized individuals.
