Low voter turnout delayed the start of voting in the Adjumani West by-election on Wednesday morning, with many residents heading to gardens and workplaces instead of polling stations.
At Lajopi Ginnery polling station in Cesi Parish, Adjumani Town Council, election officials had not opened by 7:30am because the required minimum of 10 voters had not arrived to witness the opening of ballot boxes, though materials and presiding officers arrived by 6:30am.
Lajopi Ginnery has three polling stations serving about 1,000 registered voters, but only a handful had turned up by the official 7am opening time.
Adjumani West has 51,437 registered voters, according to the Electoral Commission. The seat fell vacant following the death of long-serving politician and military officer Gen Moses Ali in July.
Two candidates are contesting: James Leku Pili (NRM), former district chairperson, and Gaspar Draga (Independent).
Draga, who said he expects to win, said his priorities would be vocational education, infrastructure and health.
“I expect to win so that we can champion education, especially vocational skills because the market is there. We will also look at infrastructures. We also want to look at health service improvement,” he said.
He said he used village-to-village campaigns.
“I used unique tactics of moving village to village and not on the streets like the other candidate. We expect a free and fair election. For the time being, I am happy,” Draga added.
In Adropi Sub-county, turnout was also low. A presiding officer at Openzinzi Prison polling station said most registered voters were at work and were expected to appear later.
In several stations, the independent candidate had no polling agents, while the NRM candidate had agents across the 114 polling stations. Draga had already cast his vote by mid-morning.
NRM candidate Leku cast his vote from Tamana Village, Adropi Sub-county, accompanied by NRM Director of Mobilisation Rosemary Seninde.
Seninde said low turnout is common in by-elections and attributed the situation in Adjumani West to internal party divisions.
In the mid-morning, turnout remained low in many areas.
Election observer and Uganda Human Rights Commissioner Crispin Kaheru said voting was peaceful despite the slow start.
“Voter participation is seemingly low in the morning which is expected. Voters are casting votes very well and there are no issues so far with the BVVK machines,” Kaheru said.
“Of the two candidates, we have noted that it is only the NRM candidate who has agents spread across their 114 polling stations. We have seen civil society groups that have deployed observers,” he added.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT ADJUMANI WEST
51,437, total registered voters
27,573, total female voters
23, 864, total male voters
114, number of polling stations
02, number of candidates contesting