The opposition National Unity Platform and independent candidates in the Kalangala District Woman MP by-election race have raised a red flag about the integrity of electoral materials after some black boxes containing ballot papers and Declaration of Results forms arrived with varying serial numbers ahead of today’s polls.
According to Abed Nasser Mudyobole, a member of Parliament for Iganga Municipality who NUP assigned to witness the arrival of electoral materials ahead of Wednesday’s polls, out of the 23 boxes for Mugoye Sub County, 17 boxes have serial numbers different from those on packing lists provided by the Electoral Commission.
‘When we received the materials, we established that 17 black boxes had different serial numbers from those packing lists, an indication that the boxes might have been tampered with, at the EC headquarters in Kampala or during transportation,’ he told journalists in Kalangala on Tuesday.
The affected polling stations include Kasekuro Primary School N-N Playground, Betta Primary School MUI-N Child Care Compound, Bbungo Playground, Kasekuro Primary School O-Z Playground, Betta Primary School O-Z, Bugoma Primary School A-M, Kagulube Parish Headquarters, Maboga Nursery School, Lusozi Buziza Pentecostal Church, Kibanga Landing Site, Bugoma Primary School N-Z, Bumanji Catholic Church, Busanga Primary School, Njoga Landing Site, Kyabwiima Kasenyi Landing Site, Kizira Trading Centre, and Serwanga Lwanga Secondary School.
Mr Habibu Buwembo, the NUP national coordinator, said after detecting the anomalies, they raised the matter with the EC returning officer for Kalangala, Ronald Agaba, who instead referred them to his superiors.
‘He said he can’t take a decision to open the ballot boxes to verify whether what is inside is exactly what is meant to be there. So, as a party we are contemplating withdrawing from this process; that initial stage appears to be fraudulent,’ he said.
Ms Hellen Flavia Nagawa, an independent candidate, had requested the Electoral Commission to postpone the elections and first sort out the issue of questionable electoral materials.
However, EC Chairperson Simon Byabakama, who is pitching camp in Kalangala together with other commissioners, said the questionable boxes are going to be unsealed in the presence of all stakeholders to ascertain the content.
‘We all know that the voters have a right to vote their candidate of choice and candidates too have voters in these affected polling stations. So, as EC we are going to open those boxes in the presence of the agents of candidates, and security to ascertain what is inside,’ he said.
He said a complaints desk has been set up to handle all concerns arising from the electoral exercise.
‘I want to assure all stakeholders in this meeting that any misconduct will be dealt with. If there are any issues you see which are not going on well, you are free to raise them and we get solutions,’ he said.
He said distribution of all electoral materials to the 115 polling stations spread across the island district would kick off at 12:30am so that voters start casting their votes by 7am as provided under the law.
‘We are going to deploy our Biometric Verification Voters Kits machines and a team is already in place to ensure smooth usage of that technology,’ he said.
Faridah Lule, the executive director of Ushahidi Foundation Uganda, an independent election observer, said during the few days her team has spent in Kalangala, they have realized that the EC hasn’t done enough sensitization on the usage of the BVVK machines.
‘Remember many Ugandans had mixed reactions on the usage of BVVK machines during the January General Election. So, we assume even the people in Kalangala have no idea how those machines operate. They were supposed to sensitise voters before they started the process,’ she said, adding, ‘Some people will assume that since the BVVK machines don’t work during the recent General Election they might actually fail even in the by election.’
The seat fell vacant following the death of Hellen Nakimuli in April. Five candidates are tussling it out to replace her, including Irene Nampala, National Resistance Movement flag bearer Aidah Nabayiga, and independents Hellen Flavia Nagawa, Babirye Sharifa Kaala and Susan Nasuuna.
The district has 42,452 registered voters expected to cast ballots from 155 polling stations spread across 64 habitable islands. The number of voters has increased by 2,794 in a space of four months.
Prior to her death, Nakimuli had won the January 15 General Election the seat for a second term with 10,609 votes against NRM candidate Aidah Nabayiga’s 9,245 votes out of the 19,854 valid votes cast.