Tayari News
Just like last week’s district and city polls, today’s elections for division and municipal mayors and direct councillors have seen a very slow start. At several polling stations that our reporters have been to throughout the country, polling started late due to the failure of voters to turn up.
In many places, by the time of filling this report, the black box that contains polling materials had not been opened yet due to a failure to have 10 witnesses. Election laws require that 10 voters be present before the box is opened.
In Kira municipality, at polling stations such as Najjera, Buwaate, Kkungu, Kira, Bulindo, Nakwero, Kitukutwe, Mulawa, Nsasa, polling had not yet started as polling officials were waiting for voters to show up. In some places in Nansana municipality, Kira municipality, Entebbe municipality and Mukono municipality, electoral materials had not even arrived at polling stations.
According to official guidelines, polls are scheduled to open at 7 a.m., but the delays have left stations idle. Across the areas, daily life proceeds uninterrupted, with many residents prioritising their routines over casting ballots.
Interviews conducted this morning revealed a general lack of enthusiasm among potential voters, who cited the disruptions as a deterrent. Wilber Ssessanga, a resident of Ocheng Zone, expressed his frustration.
“I thought I could pass by and spend at least an hour in the line to vote before 8 a.m. or a few minutes past and go to work because I am expected to report to work at 8:30 a.m. But I don’t see anything here. I will go protect my job,” he told our reporter in an interview at 7:30 a.m.
At several polling stations visited, officials had arrived on duty and demarcated the areas on time, ready for operations. A handful of party agents were present, casually conversing, some discussing football matches, others debating the broader political climate in the country. In Nakawa Division, voting has delayed in some places , such as Bukoto Primary School where there are ten Polling Stations.
There are six polling stations outside the school and four more within the school premises. At the four polling stations, by the time our reporter arrived in the area, the presiding officers were still setting up the polling stations. Then at the six stations outside, everything was set up and readily available in terms of materials to use, such as voting registers, buckets and ink.
However, Margaret Nanyondo, the Presiding Officer at TIM-Z, said that they have delayed voting because the voters are not available to witness the opening of the ballot papers in line with the law. Worth noting is that this place has at least 100 people who have gathered outside, but the majority of whom URN has talked to say are Agents of candidates in the area, but they haven’t come to vote.
Meanwhile, one of the polling officials at Eden Primary School, also in Nakawa Mulimira zone, said they were delayed voting because the school reportedly refused to assist them with desks and chairs for them to sit on. The official who feared to be quoted said they have been looking for someone who could hire them chairs. That each table is hired for UGX 20,000 per day.
This, she said, delayed the voting to commence and was the same challenge they got in the previous elections for the President, Parliament and Lord Mayor. Also in Naguru, where there are 18 polling stations around the police barracks, materials had already been brought by the time of writing this. The road here, leading to Spear Motors, is blocked as polling stations are in the middle of the road. In Nakawa Division, the top race for the Mayoral seat is between NUP’s Ali Bukeni, commonly known as Nubian Li, Paul Mugambe, the incumbent, and NRM’s Susan Zawedde.
In Makindye Division, voter turnout was still very dismal by the time our reporters visited. Affected stations include Makindye I and II (near the Military Police Barracks, where nearby roads were sealed off), Nsambya Railway, Kibuye I & II, Katwe I & II, Kanisa, Madirisa, Kerezia, Lukuli, Buziga, Kipamba, Dubai, and Muswangali. Deo Genza, a candidate for Urban LC III Councillor in Makindye Division Urban Council, told URN he expected a very low turnout.
He said he and other volunteers planned a rush-hour mobilisation across parishes, using motorcycles and megaphones to encourage participation. Security remained visible, with police and military personnel patrolling polling areas to maintain order.
In Kampala Central, voting in most polling stations has been delayed again due to the absence of ten witnesses. Voting for Division Mayors and Councillors was supposed to start at 7:00 am, but hasn’t kicked off at most polling stations, including Treasure Life Centre (TLC) in Church Zone.
Nelson Aharizira, a voter at TLC, was at the polling station by 7:30 AM but has yet to cast his vote. He’s frustrated since he needs to get to his fuel pump job. “I’ll come back at 1 pm to see if they’ve opened voting. Right now, I have to run – can’t exactly tell my boss I’m waiting to vote, he’ll tell me not to bother coming back,” Aharizira said.
Voting was still pending at several polling stations, including Kamwokya Community, Green Valley, Market Area, Central, Mawanda, Homes Darren, and Kifumbira. Kampala Central Division has 12 parishes, each electing two councillors. The division mayoral race is a tight contest between NRM’s Salim Uhuru and NUP’s Moses Katabu.
In Kawempe division, voting had not started by 9:00 a.m. at many places, such as Kawempe Kalanda, Kizza Parking, and Kawempe Muslim polling stations. Officials cited the absence of the required 10 registered voters needed to witness the opening of ballot boxes as the reason for the delay. Ssebaduka Peter, a resident of Kawempe, attributed the delays to the late arrival of election materials and the absence of the recommended number of voters required to oversee the opening process.
In Lubaga Division, the voting for division mayors and their councillors is underway in Kampala, but the voter turnout is still dismal. Unlike the voting for Lord Mayor and direct councillors last week, where the delay was caused by the requirement of 10 voters presence in order the ballot casting to start, today many of the presiding officers have abandoned that requirement and opted to open the black boxes without those witnesses.
Between 7:30 and 8:30 am, most of the polling stations in Lubaga had kicked off ballot casting. At polling stations such as Kitebi primary school, Masanyalaze playground, former Army barracks, Late Mpagi, St Jude primary school, Busega SDA church and Kigobe primary school, ballot casting was underway, although the turnout was still very dismal.
At all polling stations, police officers and polling constables are visibly present, but in their own conversations, as there are no large numbers of voters that would require them to be active. In Soroti City, the initial turnout of voters has been low across major polling stations. In most places, voting materials were delivered to polling stations as early as 6 am; however, voters did not start arriving until around 8 am.
Reports show that several key polling locations, including Kampwaihil Mosque polling station, the Islamic polling station, Soroti CPS polling station, Pioneer A, and Pioneer B polling stations, are experiencing a significant lack of voter participation. At Cell “G” in Soroti Gardens, another polling location, not a single voter had turned up to cast their vote, despite the arrival of materials at around 6:30 am.
A polling assistant noted the unusual absence of voters and remarked, “We are still waiting for the witnesses to enable us to open the ballot boxes, but unfortunately, no one has arrived yet.” Charles Etiang, a voter at Soroti City, attributed the low turnout to the scheduling of the elections.
“It would have been more efficient for the Electoral Commission to conduct these elections at the same time as the recent city mayor elections. This would encourage higher participation and streamline the voting process,” he expressed. Seven candidates are vying for the position of mayor in the Soroti City East Division, including Abdul Lattif Wali from the National Resistance Movement, Solomon Epuru representing the National Unity Platform, Elias Ewachu from the Democratic Front and independent candidates Okilan Tom and Wilfred Onyango.
Others are Gabriel Ogire from the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and Moses Onyait from the People’s Freedom Forum (PFF), who are also in the race. In Masaka city, voting has been interrupted by the morning downpour. At many polling stations that our reporter visited, the election materials were still intact past the official start of the election at 7 am.
The presiding officers say that they could not open the boxes in the absence of the required number of witness, who had also delayed due to the rain. At the Bata Cell polling station in Nyendo-Mukungwe Division, the materials were wrapped in black polythene bags and stuck on the verandas to prevent them from soaking in rainwater. Ronald Kasekende, the NUP candidate for Nyendo-Mukungwe Division Chairperson seat, said the rains, which began a few minutes past 07 am, affected the movement of his polling agents.
He has appealed to the Electoral Commission to compensate for the lost time by extending the voting time to allow the voters cast their ballots. “As soon as the rains stop, our teams are going to move around mobilising the people to turn up at polling stations, we do not want to see a repeat of the recent local council five elections, where the turn-up was very poor,” he said. Just like in Masaka, in Arua City, voting has also been interrupted by the morning rains. By 7:00 a.m., when voting was scheduled to start, rain was still falling across different parts of the city.
This disrupted preparations, delayed the arrival of election materials, and forced some early voters to seek shelter.
At Awindri Primary School Polling Station in Awindri Ward, Central Division, polling officials arrived at exactly 7:00 a.m. to begin the exercise. However, by 8:20 a.m., voting had not yet started because only one voter had turned up to witness the opening of the ballot box, contrary to the electoral guidelines, which require the presence of at least ten voters before polls can officially open.
Similarly, at Dorina Centre Polling Station in Ozivu Ward, Ayivu Division, voting had not commenced by 8:30 a.m. due to morning rain that delayed the arrival of voters and some polling officials.
At Husuna Mosque Congaloya Polling Station in Awindiri Ward, voting had also not started by 8:25 a.m. as some candidates’ agents were still arriving. The start of voting in some parts of Ayivu Division in Arua City was brought to a halt for over 50 minutes following an unexpected early morning downpour.
The rain that started by 7:40 this morning forced some of the polling officials to seek shelter in neighbouring structures, leaving only the polling constables to guard the polling materials. At one of the polling stations in Driwala Ward, Ayivu Division, URN visited, only one male polling constable and a female polling assistant were left guarding the materials, which were left under a tree in the rain as other officials took shelter. When URN arrived at the polling station, located near Driwala primary school, two of the officials who remained at the polling station castigated their colleagues for running away from the rain.
In Ayivu Division, Arua City, the Incumbent Marlon Avutia was declared unopposed after his only opponent, local Gospel Artiste Jimmy Candia aka Trust in God-TIG, pulled out. In Arua Central Division, the race is between seven contestants.
In Fort Portal City, by 8:10 AM, at Jesus Supply Church of Uganda, the polling station was set with election materials already in place, but there were no voters. The Polling assistants were waiting for 10 witnesses to arrive so that voting could begin. At Lorry Park, by 8:30 AM, voters and agents of candidates had not yet arrived at the polling station, although the voting materials had already arrived.
In Kabale Municipality, the mayoral race has attracted four candidates, with the incumbent, Emmanuel Sentaro Byamugisha, seeking a third term as an independent. He is facing National Resistance Movement flag bearer Sam Arineitwe, Kabale District Deputy Speaker Ian Ronald Mugisha, and Evarist Hussein Monday of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change.
Arineitwe is the incumbent Central Division chairman. At 7:30 a.m. at Nyakeirima Polling Station on Lower Bugongi Road in Northern Division, polling officials and security personnel had completed preparations and were waiting for voters to begin the exercise.
Agents for both Byamugisha and Arineitwe were present and on standby to witness the process. By 7:52 a.m. at Kigezi High School Lower Polling Station, also in Northern Division, voters and polling officials were seen verifying materials in preparation for the start of voting. A similar situation was observed at Old Police Station East Polling Station in Central Division at the same time.
In Lira City, there were delays in delivering voting materials to the different polling stations. For example, by 08:00 am, most polling stations in the outskirts of City East Division had not received the materials, although polling officials were present at the station.
Unlike other places, Mukono district, despite early morning rains, electoral materials were dispatched on time in Mukono municipality, sparking hopes of a robust voter turnout. In a marked improvement from the recent LC5 chairperson elections, voters, though not in big numbers, are turning up to polling stations across the municipality.
At polling stations visited by our reporter, including Gulu, UCC, St Noah, General Hospital, and the District Headquarters, voting is underway with polling officers and candidate agents present. The required number of voters has witnessed the opening of ballot boxes, ensuring a transparent process. Brenda Namukasa, a voter at St Noah, attributes the improved turnout to intensified mobilisation efforts by mayoral candidates, who have been using door-to-door campaigns, mobile drives, SMS, and direct calls to rally support.
In Kapchorwa municipality, voting has been delayed at several polling stations due to the late arrival of electoral materials. At Sosho Polling Station and Government Lodge Polling Station, voters and polling agents arrived as early as 7:30 a.m., but voting could not commence because materials had not yet been delivered.
The Kapchorwa District Returning Officer, Sarah Akol, has attributed the delay to the decision to first dispatch electoral materials to hard-to-reach areas. Akol says materials were initially distributed to polling stations in the East and West divisions, which are already conducting voting. She adds that polling stations in the Central Division are expected to begin voting by 9:00 a.m.
Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission is concerned about the low voter turnout in the ongoing electoral process, which gets even lower with the lower-level government elections.
The Presidential and Parliamentary polls returned about 52 per cent, which has been named the lowest since the return of elections in 1996, while for district and municipality polls, it is estimated at lower than 30 per cent.
The Electoral Commission Spokesman Julius Mucunguzi says they have noted the decline in the turnout levels and will give a report after the election cycle. He says that they will carry out studies of the trends right from the start to the finish of the cycle, to determine why some people did not vote, as well as the issues regarding invalid and spoiled votes, with a view to improving the future election processes.
Nationally, registered voters in 56 municipalities and city divisions elected local chairpersons (commonly called mayors) and councillors in elections organised under the Local Governments Act and the Electoral Commission Act. These grassroots polls are seen as essential for service delivery, as local leaders implement national policies and budgets approved by Parliament.
Electoral Commission spokesperson Julius Mucunguzi confirmed voting was underway across designated areas, including Kampala divisions (Central, Kawempe, Makindye, Nakawa, Lubaga) and municipalities such as Mukono, Entebbe, Nansana, Iganga, Kasese, Mubende, Tororo, Arua, Mbale, Lira, Hoima, and Soroti, plus city divisions in Jinja, Fort Portal, Mbarara, and others.
“All polling stations had been fully set up by EC staff ahead of voting,” Mucunguzi said. He urged registered voters to participate, stressing, “Leadership at the local government level is very critical. We therefore call upon all registered voters in these municipalities and city divisions to show up and vote.”
Mucunguzi noted that while leaders are often referred to as mayors, the official electoral title is chairperson of municipalities or city divisions. He said the next and last phase of the general election will be the election of sub-county (LC3) chairpersonsand councillor elections on February 4, 2026, involving all 21.6 million registered voters nationwide.
“It is at the local government level that real service delivery reaches the people,” he said, adding that these leaders play a vital role in executing government programs. Mucunguzi called for peaceful participation in accordance with electoral guidelines, as Uganda continues its staged local government electoral process following the national polls.
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