Candidates from Uganda’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) won most positions in elections for councillors representing the elderly, youths and persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Makindye and Central divisions, according to declaration forms released by electoral officials.
At Makindye Division offices, voting for division councillors for PWDs and the elderly began around 10:00 am.
By 8:00 am, fewer than 30 voters, mostly elderly, had turned up, but numbers increased later in the morning, with at least one mini-bus ferrying voters to the polling station. It was not immediately clear who organised the transport.
Makindye, one of Kampala’s largest divisions with more than 15 parishes, uses an electoral college system in which parish councillors elect division-level representatives by secret ballot. Voting was conducted using a voter register, with no use of Biometric Voter Verification machines following their failure during the January 15 presidential election.
According to results, NRM’s Felistas Nassaka won the Makindye Division Female Councillor for the Elderly seat with 57 votes, defeating independent candidate Margaret Mwesigwa Sanyu, who received 51 votes.
‘I will do everything the elderly ask me to do for them. I have been a woman Councillor and now I have gone to the elderly league,’ Ms Nassaka said after receiving the declaration forms.
For the PWDs category, NRM’s Fridah Nashuha Lizpa secured 88 votes, defeating independent candidate Joyce Ibanda Mukyala, who garnered 22 votes.
‘I will make sure everyone joins programs that make people access government funds and I will make sure the people are empowered. We are tired of people begging,’ Nashuha said.
In the youth race, NRM’s Doreen Nyaketeho won with 665 votes, defeating National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Martha Namukwaya, who received 213 votes. Nyaketeho attributed her victory to extensive mobilization across Makindye.
For the male youth position, Allan Sebatoma Serimu was unopposed and pledged to empower young people, especially those in slum communities.
‘Growing up in the ghetto is only a mentality. I want to use myself and show them that it is possible,’ he said, adding, ‘Most of these people have talent which I will help boost so that they live in better conditions.’
In Central Division, elections were held at Nakasero II parish due to limited space at division offices.
Returning officer Margret Nabatanzi said voter turnout among the elderly was higher than last year.
‘By 7 am most of them were here. the majority have already cast their votes,’ she said.
NRM candidates also dominated youth and female councillor races in Central Division, with Gloria Chebet pledging to promote youth access to government programmes, including the Parish Development Model.