The Electoral Commission (EC) yesterday started to dispatch voting materials to the 146 districts across the country ahead of the General Election that commences on Thursday. The EC chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama, flagged off the first batches of electoral materials at the EC warehouse in Ntinda, on the outskirts of Kampala. He said the EC has deployed enough security to escort the material to their district offices and that it would be stored safely.
The materials that included ballot papers and biometric voter verification machines would first be dispatched to Mitooma, Hoima City, Yumbe, Mbale, Masaka City, Luweero, Bundibugyo, Bukedea, Dokolo, Wakiso, and Namayingo. Justice Byabakama, who was flanked by six EC commissioners and other technical officers, said the distribution of the voting kits would be done in phases and not simultaneously ahead of the polling day. He assured Ugandans and all political players that the polling kits would not be delayed, lost or tampered with but transported under tight security and delivered in time for polling.
Justice Byabakama, who looked upbeat, said the materials would be kept at the EC district offices until issued to polling stations on polling day. ‘All voting kits are kept at the district EC offices under security until polling day. Each kit belongs to a respective polling station, and if any kit is misplaced, it will affect that polling station because it is allocated to only one polling station, Justice Byabakama told reporters. The dispatch comes barely a day after the EC concluded receiving ballot papers for presidential, parliamentary, and local government polls. They were printed and delivered by a Dubai-based firm, Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing Company.
Justice Byabakama yesterday said each voting kit is uniquely assigned to a specific polling station, making accountability critical throughout the distribution process. He said the phased distribution was informed by manpower and logistical constraints and the need to maintain strict security during the movement and storage of the sensitive election materials.
He said districts are scheduled to receive the materials on different days, depending on their logistical readiness and security arrangements. Justice Byabakama promised to deliver a smooth, secure, and credible electoral process that kicks off on Thursday with the presidential and parliamentary polls, followed by those for cities, municipalities, and local government across the 146 districts.