Category: Daily Monitor

As governments across the world prepare their fiscal strategies for 2026 amid tightening global financial conditions, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that rebuilding fiscal capacity and safeguarding public debt sustainability must remain top priorities, particularly for emerging and developing economies such as Uganda.

In its latest World Economic Outlook, the IMF said rising spending pressures, higher borrowing costs, and fragile global growth leave little room for fiscal slippage, stressing that countries must commit to credible medium-term fiscal consolidation while protecting growth-enhancing expenditure.

‘Replenishing fiscal buffers should be grounded in realistic assumptions about long-term spending pressures and supported by sound debt management practices,’ the IMF said, adding that governments must carefully balance fiscal adjustment with growth-friendly policies.

The IMF cautioned against broad-based subsidies and poorly targeted industrial policies, warning that such measures can strain public finances and distort resource allocation.

Any discretionary fiscal support, it said, should be strictly targeted at households and firms most affected by economic shocks and include clear sunset clauses to ensure temporality.

Where fiscal space is limited, the IMF advised governments to offset new spending through non-priority expenditure cuts or additional revenue measures.

It also encouraged countries to strengthen revenue mobilization, rationalize spending, and improve efficiency by crowding in private investment. In Uganda, the IMF’s message comes as government projects a strong economic outlook.

Speaking during the release of the Quarter Three expenditure recently, Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury Ramathan Ggoobi, said the economy remains stable, competitive, and resilient.

‘The outlook is positive, with economic growth expected to accelerate to between 6.5 and 7 percent by 2026 and reach double digits once oil production begins,’ he said, noting that all major sectors, agriculture, industry, and services, are expected to perform strongly.

This, he said, continues to be supported by prudent macroeconomic management, rising foreign direct investment, and improving export performance, which have kept inflation and the exchange rate stable.

The Ministry of Finance indicates that the fiscal strategy for the 2026/27 financial year and the medium term is anchored in the Fourth National Development Plan and the Tenfold Growth Strategy.

Key objectives include reducing poverty from 16.1 percent to 14 percent by 2029/30; achieving double-digit economic growth to double GDP within the same period; maintaining core inflation within the 5 percent target; expanding mineral resource management to diversify the economy; accelerating financial inclusion; and creating an average of nearly 885,000 jobs annually.

Bank of Uganda (BoU) has identified and written to more than 90 large Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (Saccos) to apply for licenses.

The Saccos, BoU says, qualify for regulation and supervision by the central bank, marking a significant expansion of oversight in the fast-growing cooperative financial sector.

In its Annual Supervision Report 2025, Bank of Uganda said a market survey conducted as of December 31, 2024, had established that more than 90 registered societies met the criteria to be classified as large Saccos and, therefore, fall within BoU’s supervisory mandate.

‘All the identified qualifying large SACCOs have been notified, in writing, and BoU is supporting the institutions through the licensing process,’ BoU wrote in its report.

Under the current regulatory framework, BoU considers a Sacco to be ‘large’ if it mobilises voluntary savings of more than Shs1.5b and holds institutional (share) capital of at least Shs500m.

These thresholds are set out under the Microfinance Deposit-Taking Institutions Act and the Microfinance Deposit-Taking Institutions (Registered Societies) Regulations, 2023.

By crossing these thresholds, such Saccos are deemed large enough to pose heightened consumer protection and systemic risks, particularly given their role in mobilising member deposits, extending credit, and handling high transaction volumes.

BoU’s move reflects growing concern that rapid expansion in the Sacco subsector has outpaced the traditional supervisory structures under which many cooperatives have operated.

Thus, BoU, according to the report, seeks to ensure that large cooperatives meet minimum standards on governance, capital adequacy, risk management, and reporting, comparable to those applied to other supervised financial institutions.

The intervention comes against the backdrop of sustained growth in the cooperatives sub-sector, which has become a key pillar of financial inclusion, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas.

Saccos play a vital role in mobilising savings from members who may otherwise remain outside the formal banking system, while providing affordable credit to households, farmers, and small businesses.

However, the scale at which some Saccos now operate, handling billions of shillings in member savings, has raised questions about the adequacy of lighter-touch oversight.

In 2025, BoU issued licenses to three large Saccos – EBO Cooperative Savings and Credit Society, Kyazanga-Kwegatta Microfinance Cooperative Savings and Credit Society, and MADFA Cooperative Savings and Credit Society, signalling the beginning of a broader transition of large cooperatives into the formal supervisory framework.

In its report, Bank of Uganda said four other applications are still under review, with focus mainly put on compliance with licensing requirements, noting that the shift will be supportive rather than punitive, focusing on gradual alignment with prudential requirements.

‘The objective is to enhance governance, protect members’ savings, and promote stability in a subsector that plays a critical role in financial inclusion,’ BoU said in the report, noting that as part of this transition, it plan to roll out sensitisation in the 2025/2026 financial year to raise awareness among Sacco leaders and members about licensing requirements, regulatory obligations, and the implications of operating at a larger financial scale.

The campaigns are expected to clarify what central bank supervision entails, including regular reporting, on-site examinations, and adherence to prudential standards.

The move underscores a broader policy shift whereby, as Saccos grow in size, capital strength, and turnover, informal or fragmented oversight is no longer sufficient.

With more than 90 large Saccos now on BoU’s radar, the cooperative sector is entering a new phase, one defined by stronger regulation, enhanced transparency, and closer integration into the country’s formal financial system.

The outcome of last Thursday’s presidential and parliamentary elections has sparked debate in Nakasongola District.

Political analysts say voters, the majority of whom support the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, elected an Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) for Nakasongola County but overwhelmingly voted for the NRM presidential candidate, Yoweri Museveni, to extend his time in office to 45 years. Nakasongola District Returning Officer Rashidah Najjuka last Thursday declared National Unity Platform (NUP) party’s Ivan Kyeyune the elected MP for Nakasongola County after polling 15,611 votes against his closest rival, Mr Stephen Tiberondwa Bujjingo, who garnered 11, 699 votes.

While the results appeared shocking to several NRM officials, political analysts say the voters simply made a statement earlier ignored by the party on the choice of their candidates. Mr Gabriel Ssenono, a retired secondary school head teacher and an elder in Kakooge Sub-county in Nakasongola, said the decision to vote for an Opposition candidate while at the same time retaining Mr Museveni in State House was a premeditated and strategic move. ‘The Baruuli should not be mistaken for being tribal, but like any other cultural grouping, they want to champion their own destiny using the different leadership positions at the grassroots and national level.

All the candidates that stood for [the] Nakasongola County parliamentary seat were good, but they [Baruuli] had earlier re-echoed a sense of cultural identity which several of the top NRM party leaders ignored. They used the ballot box to elect their own in disregard of his political party affiliation,’ he stated. Ms Keturah Nabayego, a resident of Kalongo Sub-county in Nakasongola, concurred with Mr Ssenono by saying: ‘Many people will come out to judge us (Baruuli) as tribal and possibly not sensitive while making leadership decisions, but this happens in many areas across the country.

If our leaders had tried to address the concerns of the Baruuli and possibly explained the choice of the candidates, the voters would have possibly made a different decision. I voted for the NUP flagbearer for MP and NRM candidate Museveni for President.’ But earlier in December 2025, the Buruuli cultural institution, which had possibly sensed growing political tensions in the area, clarified that the ethnic Baruuli are accommodative and have a mixture of more than 30 tribes settled within Nakasongola.

‘The people of Buruuli have freely lived with other tribes without discrimination. We should not encourage tribal sentiments as people of Buruuli. As part of our efforts to ensure that our culture is strengthened, we are encouraging the teaching of the Ruruuli language in schools. As your cultural leader, I will not encourage divisions based on tribal sentiments if we are to strengthen Buruuli,’ the Buruuli cultural head, Isabaruuli Mwogezi Butamanya, said at a function in Nakasongola Town on January 5. Mr Kyeyune, the MP-elect for Nakasongola County, also dismissed the notion of voters using the tribal card in last week’s election.

‘The people of Nakasongola have for long lacked a vocal Member of Parliament who can articulate their issues without fear. The reason why the people of Nakasongola voted for me as their next MP is because of the earlier abilities that they identified in my political career as their liberator. It is not true that the people of Nakasongola went tribal as alleged by some individuals,’ he said. Mr Kyeyune explained that he had made attempts to vie for the same seat in 2016 and 2021, but was unsuccessful. ‘I also believe that the people of Nakasongola, like many other regions, now want a leader who will fight for their cause,’ he stated.

The Baruuli, according to their cultural leader (Isabaruuli), are inseparable from President Museveni.

‘When the Baruuli got displaced in the Lango Sub-region and were forced to settle in different parts of Uganda in the early 1970s, Museveni, who at the time was Minister for Defence, came up to defend the Baruuli people against the harassment. Even when he became President… later, he ensured that the people of Buruuli regain their cultural identity as guided by the Constitution of Uganda,’ the Isabaruli said at his 21st coronation anniversary held on December 10, 2025. Nakasongola District has two constituencies that include Budyebo and Nakasongola counties. Figures from the Electoral Commission put the voter population in the area at 107,877.

Youth council elections in Kisoro District were delayed for several hours on Wednesday after delegates boycotted the vote, demanding payment of transport facilitation allowances they said had been promised to them.

Hundreds of youth delegates from across the district gathered at Shaaza Playground in Kisoro Municipality, where voting was scheduled to take place, but refused to proceed until their grievances were addressed.

Several delegates said they had travelled long distances from their respective sub-counties after being informed that their transport costs would be refunded by the Electoral Commission and the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), a practice they said had been followed in previous Special Interest Groups (SIG) elections.

A delegation from Bukimbiri County said: ‘We were informed to come for elections in Kisoro Municipality as our transport would be refunded by the Electoral Commission and NRM,’ adding that no facilitation had been paid upon arrival.

Delegate Wilson Akimana voiced frustration shared by many protesters, saying: ‘We were promised facilitation from the Electoral Commission and NRM but were denied. We suspect the money might have been swindled by some individuals.’

Addressing the aggrieved youth, NRM Kisoro District Finance Secretary Joachim Hashakimana said the party had not received any funds meant for facilitation.

‘NRM DEC Kisoro did not receive any facilitation meant for the youth,’ he said, urging calm and advising the delegates ‘to seek intervention from NRM Offices.’

NRM Kisoro District Chairperson Dr Philemon Mateke later intervened, appealing to the delegates to allow the process to proceed.

‘Please participate in the election. The NRM office did not receive any money for facilitating the youth elections,’ Mateke said, adding: ‘I will make a follow-up if the Electoral Commission released that money.’

Following the assurances, voting commenced at about 3:00 pm and concluded at 7:30 pm. Mateke encouraged the youth to take part, saying: ‘Exercise your democracy by choosing your leaders.’

Independent candidate Juliet Kamusiime won the District Female Youth Councilor seat with 222 votes, defeating NRM’s Judith Uwimana, who polled 129 votes, and Charity Nyiramaho, who received one vote.

Sam Kiiza of the NRM was declared unopposed as District Male Youth Councilor after his sole challenger, Harerimana David Karisa, withdrew and pledged support.

‘I thank all delegates across the district and promise to work with the youth while presenting them in the district council,’ Kiiza said.

Baker Niyigaba was also elected unopposed as District Male Councilor for Persons with Disabilities. ‘I thank the government of Uganda for considering people living with disabilities by including them in government programs,’ he said.

The election for District Female Councilor representing Persons with Disabilities was postponed after ending in a tie between Eunice Baganda and Nyirasenga Jackline, who each received 50 votes.

Kisoro District Returning Officer Daniel Nayebare said the re-election would be rescheduled after consultations with headquarters and announced through local radio stations.

The Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Ms Betty Amongi, has accused Speaker Anita Among and Health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng of orchestrating electoral malpractice in Lira City’s parliamentary elections.

Ms Amongi claims Ms Among mobilised Shs4.2 billion and more than 10 buses of people to bribe voters and manipulate ballots in favour of Dr Aceng.

Ms Amongi, who is also the outgoing Oyam South MP, contested on the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party ticket to uproot Dr Aceng of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party from Lira City Woman MP seat.

Speaking on a local radio station in Lira City on Monday, Ms Amongi claimed that soldiers were involved in marking ballots, with one soldier reportedly admitting to ticking 2,000 ballots for Dr Aceng. She also pointed to irregularities in polling stations, citing abnormally high vote counts for Dr Aceng.

However, Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) 5 Infantry Division Public Information Officer, Capt Ibrahim Kasule Sekitto, dismissed the claims. He explained that soldiers seen at polling stations were there to exercise their right to vote, not to engage in ballot stuffing.

‘They voted for the candidate of their choice, one vote per soldier at a polling station where they were registered,” Capt Kasule told Daily Monitor yesterday, adding that soldiers cast their votes peacefully from Lango Quran Primary School, Lira Army Primary School, Senior Quarters, and Railways polling stations.

Asked how many UPDF soldiers were present in Lira before and during the January 15 parliamentary and presidential polls, Capt Sekitto said: ‘Actually, we had a good number but not all voted. Like for me, when I was transferred here in December, they had already finished updating the voter register. I was unable to vote because I was registered in Kampala.’

He further explained soldiers have a right to vote because they are Ugandans and are aged 18 and above.

‘And being in the military doesn’t take away your right to vote. During the registration of voters, someone registers where he works or originates from. As UPDF Division 5, we voted in Lira City because we were registered voters and we were in the Electoral Commission’s register,’ said Capt Sekitto.

We could not get a comment from the Parliament’s Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Mr Chris Obore, by press time.

Prior to the January 15 polls, the Speaker of Parliament asked President Museveni to urge Ms Amongi to withdraw from the Lira City Woman parliamentary race.

While acknowledging that some Opposition members genuinely support the NRM and its ideology, the Speaker cautioned the President against being overly accommodating, warning that excessive leniency could be politically costly.

She urged the President to exercise his authority as the appointing authority to compel Ms Amongi to step aside from the parliamentary contest.

‘I am speaking as the second national vice chairperson [of NRM]. I know I am your vice but I must do work for you to get a good party. We cannot continue hobnobbing with people who do not believe in us and I want to thank the UPC members who love us genuinely. And Your Excellency, I want to thank you for believing in the politics of ideology and not identity,’ Ms Among told Mr Museveni, the NRM national chairperson, at a rally in Lira City on January 8, 2026.

Aceng’s response

However, Dr Aceng said she won the seat genuinely in last week’s election. Aceng polled 38,074 votes against Ms Amongi’s 26,199 votes against, according to data from the Electoral Commission.

In her address last Friday, Dr Aceng framed the success not merely as a political win but as a spiritual triumph, emphasising that ‘there is no battle that God can never win’.

‘There is no battle that God can never win. And today, this day, I believe the people of Lira now know there is a God that I serve, a God in heaven that I serve. And be it known to you, my opponents, and to all the people of Lira City, there is a God in heaven, the almighty God. We serve Him,’ said the minister of Health.

Dr Aceng added: ‘First of all, we are protecting our gains. And we have a lot to protect in all sectors, because there is so much that the NRM government has done. First of all, giving us a city alone is a gain that we have to protect.’

But Ms Amongi has vowed not to recognise Dr Aceng as the legitimate MP. ‘Dr Jane Ruth Aceng is not our Member of Parliament as the people of Lira City. She will remain a Member of Parliament for those who planned for her cheating and she can never have peace and respect in the Lango Sub-region because she is not an elected Member of Parliament.’

She added: ‘I cannot transact business with a criminal and we shall not disappear from the politics of this country.’

Mr Patrick Odongo, alias Odongo Lango, who supports Dr Aceng, said Ms Amongi is a sour loser.

‘It’s an open secret that no love has been lost between Amongi and Speaker Among. People must remember how Among, in a cleverly worded question in Bukedea, exposed the incompetence of Amongi in providing political oversight of the Generating Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises (GROW) project,’ he said.

Mr Odongo added: ‘Speaker Anita Among didn’t relent. At the official campaign rally of the President at Lira Golf Course (January 8), she took it a notch higher. She questioned why Amongi, a Cabinet minister, bound by collective responsibility, must use resources from the NRM government to fight her fellow minister. Among vowed to camp in Lira City to ensure Dr Jane wins the election.’

Uganda has just proved that it pays to protect trees. In October 2025, the country became the first African nation to receive a $31m (Shs107m) results-based grant from the Green Climate Fund.

This payout rewarded verified reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions achieved by slowing deforestation since 2016-2017. Whereas the grant received limited media coverage, it was a watershed moment for climate finance in poor nations, showing that environmental conservation can unlock substantial investment without the need for expensive loans or traditional aid.

The secret behind the payment is a simple: carbon credits. When a community cuts a forest, the carbon stored in its wood rushes into the atmosphere; when that forest is preserved or restored, the carbon stays locked away. If the amount of carbon stored can be measured, reported, and verified, it can be sold as a credit that pays the keeper of the forest.Uganda earned its payout under the United Nations-backed REDD+ programme, which incentivises countries to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation while enhancing forest carbon stocks.

Why does this matter to ordinary Ugandans? The nation’s 2.36 million hectares of forest do far more than just confiscate carbon. They regulate rainfall, protect soils, sustain biodiversity, and provide firewood, building materials, and food for millions of households. Yet about 90 percent of the previous forest loss in the country was driven by agricultural expansion, a pressure that falls hardest on rural families with few alternatives.Carbon finance changes this narrative on its head. Instead of treating forest protection as a cost, it becomes a source of revenue.

If a community guards its forests jealously, it is rewarded. The Ugandan government plans to reinvest the grant into community-based timber and pole plantations that bring income-generating trees closer to villages, easing the workload for women while easing pressure on natural forests. Such projects transform conservation into an investment that ‘pays back,’ and they illustrate how results-based payments can lower the barrier for developing countries that often struggle to secure upfront climate finance.

Scaling this success, however, will not be easy. Uganda should build strong, credible institutions capable of accurate measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of emission reductions across forestry, land use and agriculture. Robust MRV systems are the backbone of any carbon-credit market; without them, buyers cannot trust the numbers, and future payments will dry up.Also, the country should weave carbon revenue into the broader development agenda. Climate finance should be included into national and sectoral plans such as poverty reduction strategies, energy policies, and food-security programmes to support rural energy transitions, climate-smart agriculture and sustainable land management. Public-private partnerships can amplify impact, but the State must provide the policy guidance toward climate-positive outcomes.

Communities need realistic, affordable alternatives to forest clearing. Scaling up timber and pole plantations is one pillar, but it must accompanied by affordable clean-cooking technologies that cut firewood demand, such as improved cookstoves and alternative fuels. Agroforestry and other sustainable agricultural practices can boost yields without pushing the frontier of forests further into farmland. These measures address the root cause of deforestation: agricultural expansion.Finally, no technical solution will survive without people who understand it.

Many Ugandans still lack a clear picture of how carbon credits work and why they matter. Investing in locally relevant awareness campaigns and capacity-building programmes will empower communities, improve accountability, and foster long-term ownership of climate action. Uganda’s $31m reward is more than a financial windfall; it is a proof-of-concept that results-based climate finance can be a viable development tool for the poorest nations.

If the government can strengthen monitoring, reporting and verification, embed carbon revenues into national policy, and deliver community-focused alternatives to deforestation, the REDD+ model could be expanded. Uganda’s next chapter will be determined by how wisely it transforms the money into lasting forest protection, cleaner energy, and stronger livelihoods, not by the grant’s size.

Residents of Buhangura Village in Mabungo Parish, Nyarusiza Sub-county, Kisoro District, were left shocked on Wednesday after a man allegedly prevented the burial of his toddler, accusing relatives of causing the child’s death.

The incident involves Ivan Kwiringira, son of George Uwihoreye, whose toddler died on Monday.

Instead of proceeding with the burial, Kwiringira reportedly chased away mourners and family members, remaining alone with the corpse.

According to reports, the situation escalated from a long-standing land dispute between Kwiringira and his father.

The disagreement intensified after Uwihoreye reported his son to police, prompting Kwiringira to flee to Kampala. He returned a week later upon learning of his child’s death.

Mourners had gathered at Uwihoreye’s home to pay their respects when the 30-year-old allegedly drove them away using pangas, sticks, and stones.

‘My son threatened to bury me before burying his child, and I had to seek refuge in the bush,’ George Uwihoreye told Monitor from a hiding place.

Uwihoreye said the land dispute has persisted for years and accused his son of trying to seize more of the family land.

He also alleged that Kwiringira is a habitual user of narcotic drugs and had been joined by friends who also abuse substances, preventing the burial.

The LC1 Chairperson of Buhangura Village, Annah Nyirabuhuru, described the events as ‘very sad and unfortunate’ for both the family and the wider community.

She noted that the family is not part of the village’s support groups that assist bereaved families.

Uwihoreye reported the incident to Nyarusiza Police Aid Post under a case of threatening violence, registered as SD/20/01/2026. Investigations are ongoing.

By press time, Uwihoreye and other family members remained in hiding, while Kwiringira continued to hold onto the body, preventing mourners and relatives from accessing the home by 10am on Thursday.

The case has left villagers distressed and raised concerns about familial disputes escalating into public safety issues while local authorities urged calm and appealed for the cooperation of all parties involved ‘to resolve the matter peacefully.’

Incidences of low voter turn out, electoral violence, arrests and ballot paper errors were observed as districts and cities across Uganda on Thursday headed to the polls to elect district chairpersons, municipal mayors and city mayors.

In Makindye Division in Kampala, voter turnout was notably low by mid-day. Both agents and security personnel could be seen dozing off at various polling stations as they waited for voters.

In Ankole sub-region voting has been in only seven districts for district chairpersons and City mayors.

Though the region has 13 districts including Mbarara City, Kazo, Kiruhura, Ibanda, Rwampara, Mbarara, Ntungamo, Sheema, Bushenyi, Rubirizi, Mitooma, Buhweju and Isingiro; some district chairpersons went through unopposed.

The districts with unopposed candidates included Isingiro, Ibanda, Bushenyi, Sheema, Mbarara and Rwampara.

Other districts including Mbarara City had competing candidates but voter turnout was key as voters did not participate the same way they did in the presidential and parliamentary elections.

‘I am surprised I came to the polling station at Kyamugolani Church of Uganda at 1PM but I was the 10th voter of the day. Voters are demoralized because they were getting money to vote during the presidential and parliamentary elections which was not the case in Thursday’s election,’ Ms Hilder Atuhaire Nyakato a voter in Mbarara District said.

Mr Aron Tumwesigye, a voter in Kyamugolani said they were disappointed during the presidential and parliamentary election because the electoral commission declared different results.

‘We came and voted the other time but the results the electoral commission declared were different from the actual votes. They declared different people from the ones we voted for so people are keeping in their homes because at the end of the day they will declare what they (EC) want,’ he said.

In Ntungamo district at least five people were arrested from different polling stations over alleged ballot stuffing.

The Ntungamo district police commander Mr Joshua Mwesigwa said, ‘Some are polling officials, we also have some agents of candidates and voters themselves. We are fortunate that there is limited violence. The challenge is where the people were getting the ballots from. We have calmed the situation and I hope we shall have a very peaceful election.’

In Kazo District, Police are investigating an assault incident involving independent candidate Sam Muyambi, who is vying for the district chairman seat.

Mr Muyambi allegedly attacked Justus Mugume, the agent of the incumbent chairman, Rev. Mugisha Samuel Katugunda.

The incident occurred at Kyabahura 1 Model Primary School Polling Station in Kazo Town Council.

‘I am an agent and also a voter for Samuel Katugunda. It was around 9:30am and Mr Sam Muyambi came in a vehicle, guarded by a soldier. They entered a polling station and approached where I was seated without saying anything, he punched me and the soldier stood between us before people came to separate us,’ Mr Mugume said.

Meanwhile, voting for the Fort Portal City Female Councillor was on Thursday cancelled in several wards across the Northern and Central divisions after some polling stations failed to receive the correct ballot papers, while others received mixed-up ballots.

“The Electoral Commission decided to cancel the City Female Councillor elections in the affected areas due to the errors. A new voting date will be communicated before February 4,” said Isaac Byamugisha, the Fort Portal City Returning Officer.

He explained that polling materials were generally delivered on time across the city, and voting for other non-affected candidates proceeded at different intervals.

In the Northern Division, voting was cancelled in upper parishes within Karago, Kizingo, Kiguma, Ibonde, Kitarasa, Nyakitojo, Kitaka, and Makondo wards.

In the Central Division, affected areas included Central West wards of Kibimba, Nyabukara, and Rwengoma, as well as Central South wards of Bazaar, Kasusu, and Kijanju.

Josephine Komuhimbo, a female city councillor candidate, expressed disappointment with the Electoral Commission.

“My supporters came early to vote for me, but were disappointed to find that our ballot papers were missing in some polling stations. We have been promised that the voting exercise will be conducted within two weeks,” she said.

Voting for the Fort Portal City Mayor and City Councillors also experienced delays due to low voter turnout. Out of about 190 polling stations, voting in most centers started after 8:00am.

At Jesus Supply Church in the Central Division, which hosts three polling stations, voting at stations AK and KZ had not commenced by 9:30am due to the absence of the required minimum of 10 voters to witness the opening of the ballot boxes.

Three candidates are contesting the City mayoral race; NRM’s Albert Ahebwa, independent candidate Rev. Willy Kintu Muhanda, and Sylvia Kihunde attributed the low turnout to inadequate voter education.

At Nyabukara A and B polling stations, turnout remained low by midday, with it taking more than five minutes for a single voter to arrive and cast a ballot.

West Nile

A windy summer atmosphere engulfed most polling stations in Arua City as a few voters trickled in to cast their votes in the morning for the local council elections.

Some of the voters said they wanted to brave the morning dry wind to cast their votes so that they could go and hustle at their different workplaces.

One such voter turned up at 7:40 am to cast his vote but had to wait until 9:20 am.

‘There is voter apathy because by 9am, nobody came to the polling station. People started voting by 9:20am and behind me, there were only three other voters,’ said Mr Martin Andama.

At Bazaar Polling station, the Presiding Officer, Mr Derrick Okwaimungu, said: ‘For Presidential elections, there were very many. But I do not know why they have not turned up till this time (9:40 am) yet voting materials were delivered early.’

A Presiding Officer, Ms Harriet Trimaru, of Arua Central Market O-Z, said: ‘We couldn’t start at 7am because voters were not there. This time, we do not know how the turn up would be because last week the turn up was low. We had 531 voters and those who turned up were 145. I do not know if we can even get 145 voters for this Mayoral and councilor elections.

At Odumi polling station in Arua District, by 10:20 am, about 60 people had voted. It had the highest turn up compared to other polling stations. It has 452 registered voters.

Youth in demobilisation move

In Arua district, a section of youth were held responsible for demobilizing people against voting.

Mr Anguyo Pariyo, a voter in Arua district and former councilor, said: ‘People are extremely dissatisfied with parliamentary election results. It is not only results but how the elections were conducted which ended up to be rigged. We have advised the youth not to demobilise people, because this will not add value.’

In Nebbi Municipality, by 9am, at Boma 1 polling station, the polling officers remained relaxed and glued to their phones as they waited for the 10 polling witnesses to open the biometric screening machines.

In Maracha District, there were almost empty polling stations at various areas as the voter turnout was very low. Voting started at 9.00am but by midday, there were only 34 voters who voted at Gbulukua Primary School polling station.

The arrests

In Obongi district, the police arrested three supporters of incumbent district chairperson, Mr Rashid Azabo Kenyingopi, an independent candidate. Rashid claimed that his supporters were taken into custody by backers of his opponent while on their way to town.

The Police Public Relations Officer for North West Nile Region, Mr Collins Asea, confirmed that the three were detained due to concerns that they might be harmed.

Busoga

Election officials reported cases of ballot staffing irregularities at Kibibi polling station in Jinja Northern Division during the mayoral elections.

The presiding polling officer at the station, Mr John Tiwaaku, said he was attacked by a group of NRM supporters who stormed the polling station, grabbed ballot papers, and allegedly pre-ticked them in favour of the NRM candidate.

‘I cannot properly account for the EC property, especially the ballot papers that were taken away by the attackers,’ Mr Tiwaaku said. ‘They came in a group, and there was no manpower to restrain them. They assaulted me and some voters and made off with part of the ballot papers.’

Jinja City Returning Officer, Ms Falvia Nakasi, confirmed the incidents, saying investigations were ongoing.

“It is unfortunate that some individuals disrupted the polling process. Police have intervened and are conducting investigations,” she said.

Ms Nakasi said the presiding officers have been taken to police to make a statement.

The mayoral race in Jinja City is highly competitive, featuring 14 candidates, but the major contenders remain Independent Candidate Peter Kasolo Okecho (incumbent), Abdulhafidh Nagaya (NRM), and Mubarak Kirunda (NUP).

The incumbent district councilor representing workers at Kabale District Council, Saturday George, boycotted the Special Interest Groups (SIG) elections held on January 21 at Kabale Municipal Stadium, citing irregularities in the voters’ registers.

George, a member of the Uganda Government and Allied Workers Union, said he was duly nominated by the Electoral Commission in September last year using registers submitted by the Ministry of Labour and Gender, but neither he nor members of his union appeared on the final voters’ list used during the election.

‘Being a duly nominated candidate for the post of district councilor representing workers at Kabale district council, I have taken a decision to boycott this election because of irregularities in the voters registers that were presented by the electoral commission,’ George said at a press conference held Thursday afternoon in Kabale Town.

He said the registers had been undergoing continuous updates and that union members expected to participate in the vote.

‘We expected our members of the unions to appear on these registers including myself but we did not appear in the registers and I do not know criteria that was used to select voters for this exercise because all my union members and delegates did not appear in these registers,’ he said.

‘Because of these irregularities, I have decided to boycott this exercise besides petitioning the electoral commission Kabale office for redress,’ he added.

Through his lawyers, Elgon Advocates, George formally petitioned the Electoral Commission’s Kabale office, seeking cancellation of the workers’ representative election until the registers are fully updated.

He also requested the creation of what he described as a favourable environment for all unions to participate by ensuring accurate voter registration.

Kabale District Electoral Commission Returning Officer Aisha Nansubuga acknowledged receipt of the complaint, saying the matter would be reviewed.

‘It’s true I received the complaint from Mr Saturday George and the electoral commission will make a reply after looking into it,’ Nansubuga said.

She added: ‘The alleged irregularities in the registers are not our making because the electoral commission is the end user.’

Despite the boycott, the Electoral Commission later announced results for the workers’ council positions.

Collins Saturday Kahesi, an independent candidate, won the male workers’ councilor seat with 188 votes, while George, running on the ruling NRM ticket, polled 17 votes.

For the female workers’ councilor position, Ruth Arinatwe Sunday, an independent candidate, secured 182 votes, defeating NRM’s Betty Amasiko, who polled 23 votes.

In the district youth council elections, Hellen Natasha (independent) and Edgar Atungire (NRM) were declared elected unopposed.

In the male Persons with Disabilities (PWD) category, independent candidate Fulgensi Ayebare and NRM’s Zephrino Semwogerere tied with 37 votes each. Electoral officials said the matter would be reported for a repeat election.

For the female PWD seat, Ana Kobusingye (independent) polled 36 votes, while Promise Katushabe (NRM) won with 38 votes.

A pastor attached to Sovereign Revival Church of Christ (SRCC) in Bukedea, Mr Abraham Ikara, is on the run after preaching against election violence during a Sunday service following the January 15 General Election.

Ikara claims security operatives attempted to arrest him, mistakenly detaining his brother, who was later released.

‘After they arrested my brother on mistaken identity, they released him but immediately surrounded my home, lucky enough by that time I had checked out,’ Ikara said on Wednesday evening.

He said his sermon, addressing ‘sin committed in politics and at workplaces,’ was misinterpreted by a state informant in the congregation as incitement to violence.

He added that his role as election manager for independent Bukedea County MP candidate John Bosco Ikojo also put him at risk.

Ikojo, who ran independently after contested NRM primaries, told local media that his home in Malera Sub-county had been under surveillance since January 14. He alleged widespread electoral irregularities and voter intimidation.

‘These goons took over the election exercise, they denied journalist access to Bukedea, they ticked all the ballot papers in favour of the candidate of their choice, that by 10:00am, all polling stations had been deserted as the goons staged havoc under the protection of 17 police vans,’ Ikojo said.

He said authorities sought his arrest after what he described as a stolen victory, forcing him briefly to flee to Kenya before assurances of protection from the President’s Office allowed his return.

Ikojo claimed that less than 2% of registered voters cast ballots, but results were apportioned to give 68,000 votes to the declared winner, 10,000 to him, and smaller amounts to other candidates.

His campaign manager, bodyguard, and over 30 supporters were arrested and remanded to Bukedea government prison.

Dozens of residents also fled due to threats of arrest with LC3 candidate Joseph Amailem telling Monitor that his business was ransacked, and he had to leave Malera.

‘I am an LC3 candidate but for the last 8 days, I have not been able to campaign, they want me arrested,’ Amailem said.

Deputy Regional Police Commander for South Kyoga, Samuel Abbedi, denied that police aided election violence, saying investigations into allegations raised by Ikara and others are ongoing.

‘Victims should learn to report matters to police. That is what helps us as law enforcement institution to conduct thorough investigations,’ Abbedi said, adding that citizens aggrieved by results should seek remedies through the courts.