Voters in Nakawa Shun Voting Over Disappointment in Presidential Polls

In Kinawataka, Irene Atim who operates a photo studio near Kinawataka Mujjambula's place located in Mbuya says that she did not vote because she lost trust in the voting process.

According to the Electoral Commission guidelines, voters can only access polling stations if they are wearing a face mask and have washed their hands with soap and water. But there were no handwashing facilities at the stations today, neither did they provide hand sanitisers, to help voters to keep coronavirus disease at bay. In fact, even those with no face masks were not stopped from voting, both in Kampala and Wakiso.

The rains started a few minutes after 4 p.m. as stations closed the exercise, which was rather poorly attended. Polling officials in Nakawa and Makindye rushed to secure the ballot boxes in nearby shelters, from the open space where polling was conducted, all day long.

Ssenyonga announced his withdrawal from the race shortly after casting his vote at Seeta Church of Uganda Primary School playground, which hosts seven polling stations.

In Gulu, voters turned up in small numbers across the 188 polling stations in Gulu City compared to last week’s Presidential and Parliamentary elections, where the turn up was high.

The Lamwo District Returning Officer Samuel Olet says that the elections of Potika Sub County female Councilor in Lamwo County were cancelled after the ballot papers were not found in the ballot boxes.

Ismael Takik Atwijukire, the Kasese District Returning Officer attributes the high number of invalid votes to the limited voter sensitisation in this year’s general elections.