Former Wakiso LC I Chairpersons Allege Vote Rigging in Village Elections

Three former Local Council I (LC I) chairpersons in Katabi Town Council, Wakiso District, have expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of Tuesday’s nationwide village elections, alleging widespread vote rigging involving security personnel and Electoral Commission (EC) officials.

The complaints come in the wake of the highly anticipated LC I polls held across more than 70,000 villages nationwide. Under the Local Governments Act, village elections are conducted through an open lining-up voting system, where voters stand behind their preferred candidates instead of casting secret ballots.

However, the former local leaders claim the legally prescribed process was undermined during voting and tallying.

Addressing journalists on Thursday, Abbey Ssebowa, the former chairperson of Abayita Ababiri Village, alleged that polling officials abandoned the mandatory physical headcount and instead relied on entry slips to declare winners.

“We had three lines of people behind me while my opponent had only one line. We patiently waited for more than 20 minutes to be counted in line, but it never happened,” Ssebowa said. “Out of nowhere, Electoral Commission officials entered the voting area and collected entry slips that had enabled residents to access the polling site.”

He alleged that an official carrying a large bag counted the admission slips instead of physically counting voters lined up behind the candidates.

“By law, LC I elections are meant to be conducted by lining up behind candidates, unlike national elections where ballot papers are ticked and dropped in boxes,” he said.

Ssebowa further claimed that rival camps recruited underage schoolchildren to inflate voter numbers, disguising their ages by dressing them in religious attire.

“At the time of voting, they made them wear hijabs and join the lines, which was completely wrong,” Ssebowa said. “We do not refuse to lose, but let us lose in accordance with the law. Losing an election is normal, but subverting the law is unacceptable.”

Echoing similar concerns, area councillor Joseph Musunku said many legitimate residents were chased away from polling stations by security officers before vote counting and the election of village executive committees.

“Legally, the village executive committee is supposed to be elected immediately after the chairperson’s vote, but that did not happen. As a result, residents remain unsure of who actually won the election,” Musunku said.

In Nkumba-Bufulu Village, former chairperson John Chrysestom Luboobi alleged military interference, claiming that non-residents were transported into the area to influence the outcome.

“Military lorries dropped trainees from Kasenyi who are not registered voters in our village, along with a number of students. They forcefully took part in the elections,” Luboobi alleged.

Similarly, Stanley Nsubuga, the former chairperson of Kabale A, Tadeo Zone, accused election officials of declaring candidates who lacked majority support after security officers disrupted the voting process.

“We were very peaceful until the army came in and started disrupting voters,” Nsubuga said. “I received 70 votes, while my rivals, Bosco and Balak Jjingo, got 16 and 42 votes respectively. However, officials refused to record these results on the official Declaration of Results forms. Instead, they wrote figures on rough paper and started celebrating with Bosco. I have not received my Declaration of Results form to date.”

The publication could not independently verify the allegations made by the aggrieved contestants by the time of publication.

When contacted for comment, Electoral Commission spokesperson Julius Mucunguzi urged all dissatisfied candidates to submit formal petitions to the commission for review.

“It is within the rights of anybody, whether a voter or a candidate, who believes that what happened was inconsistent with the law to submit a formal written complaint to the commission,” Mucunguzi said. “The commission will hear the matter, determine it and make a decision.”

He added that candidates who remain dissatisfied have the right to seek redress through the courts by presenting evidence to support their claims.

Mucunguzi, however, declined to provide a specific timeline for resolving the petitions.

“If they submit a complaint to the commission, it will be handled. But the commission will not put up a signpost saying today we start, tomorrow we do this, or the next day that,” he said. “The commission is mandated by law to hear petitions and will communicate directly with those who file them.”