In Nabweru, Nansana Municipality, Agatha Mulawa, a local resident, woke up to find people sitting on benches near the town council offices. Surprised, she learned that the Electoral Commission (EC) officials were on-site to register new voters and update the existing voter register. A first-time voter, Mulawa had assumed that registration was automatic after receiving a national ID.
Prof Buyinza pointed out that the board has faced significant issues over the years with physical forms submitted, which had to be entered into the system by data clerks. This process has sometimes resulted in incorrect information being recorded, negatively impacting applicants.
At least 10 million people were not yet born while another, almost 10 million were less than 10 years when the last Uganda National Population and Housing Census was conducted, in 2014.
Gilbert Kadilo, the NIRA Spokesperson, says the thugs broke into the offices in Kasoma zone in Luweero town on Tuesday night. He says the Authority has reported the matter to Luweero Central Police Station for investigations.
“Government is paying money on a decentralized system for the Organisation. We have to know what happens in the districts. Why can’t some of these services be executed in the districts? Why do you have to bring the whole Uganda here [in Kololo] and expose our weaknesses?” Biribonwa questions why all services are being offered at the Kololo-based NIRA headquarters.
Some of the residents claim they lost their National Identity Cards, while others did not register for National Ids during the mass registration in 2014.
Residents at Kaazi Bugaba landing site, led by the area Chairperson Isaac Kirumira say that the officers conducting the exercise asked each of them to pay 30,000 Shillings before they could be registered. They add that some of those that had no money were left out.
