The Electoral Commission (EC) has sent a clear warning to Ugandans participating in today’s LC I Chairperson elections: If your name is not on the official village register, you cannot vote.
As polling got underway across Uganda’s 71,214 villages, EC spokesperson Julius Mucunguzi defended the Commission’s electoral process amid growing complaints of voter register manipulation in some parts of the country.
Speaking during polling, Mucunguzi said the law leaves no room for exceptions because every election must be based on a verified voters’ register.
He explained that the process started months ago with village voter registration, where only Ugandan citizens aged 18 years and above who ordinarily live in a village and voluntarily presented themselves were registered.
Residents were later given an opportunity to inspect the register during the display exercise before nominations and campaigns began.
According to Mucunguzi, anyone who ignored the registration exercise cannot simply appear on polling day and demand to vote.
“Even if everyone knows you in the village, even if you are one of the respected elders, if you never registered, you cannot vote. You will only watch today’s election,” he said.
His comments came as dramatic scenes unfolded at several polling stations.
In Kasokoso, tempers flared after residents accused the NRM candidate of importing non-villagers onto the register to influence the election.
The situation escalated when the presiding Electoral Commission officer was reportedly taken away by police officers to an unknown location following protests from angry residents demanding answers.
Supporters of the National Unity Platform (NUP) staged protests that turned violent as they challenged the authenticity of the voters’ register.
Another standoff was reported in Bunga, where residents accused the incumbent LC I Chairperson of deleting names of genuine voters while altering the register to benefit his re-election campaign.
Some voters rejected the declared outcome and immediately announced plans to petition the Electoral Commission.
In Bunakijja Village in Katosi Town Council, clashes erupted between supporters of Democratic Party (DP) candidate David Mugabo and National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Haruna Lukoma causing the EC presiding officer to cancel the polling process. The two candidates and their supporters accused each other of voter intimidation. It is alleged that a drone carrying unidentified people showed up and disrupted the polling process.
In Katuuso , Buziga COU, the incumbent who had previously advised locals to vote for him without checking the register made a u-turn after he lost. Prior to the voting process, the three candidates including the incumbent agreed that voters participate in the polling process without the EC presiding officers registering. That changed when he lost and demanded that the process be followed legally,and he was declared winner.
In Makindye barracks polling station locals went up in arms after soldiers and police officers turned up to vote. They claimed the security officers are not locals , causing a scuffle that led the officers to flog some.
Most of the areas saw locals alleging that their names were not on the register, the incumbents tampered with the registers and foreigners participated in the voting.
Responding to the growing controversy, Mucunguzi said the Commission had already been alerted to similar allegations before polling and that EC Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama had advised affected residents to follow the legal process.
He urged complainants to record formal statements, provide documentary evidence and submit their complaints to the Commission for investigation.
The EC spokesperson also warned that it is against the law for any incumbent or candidate to interfere with the village register, saying anyone found culpable will face the consequences provided under the law.
Voting officially began at around 11:00 a.m., with residents lining up behind their preferred candidates in accordance with Uganda’s electoral laws.
The nationwide exercise is expected to conclude with the election of LC I Chairpersons in all 71,214 villages, forming the foundation of the country’s local governance structure.
