New districts go to polls amid delays

Kampala. Voting in the four newly created districts has kicked off amid reports of delays in delivery of voting materials.
The districts where elections are taking place include Omoro, which was carved out of Gulu District, Kagadi and Kakumiro curved out of Kibaale District and Rubanda curved out of Kabale District. The districts became operational on July 1. Voting by law is meant to commence at 7 am and end at 4 pm.

At Bubaare Sub County in Rubanda district, the dispatch of voting materials to the 32 respective polling stations within Bubaare had by 6: 00am not started yet the appointed time of commencement was 5:30 am. The exercise kicked off at 6:35am. Citizens' Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (CCEDU) observers and other officials were already at the venue but EC officials were yet to arrive.

By 7 am, there were no polling officials in at designated polling stations areas in Kagadi town according CCEDU coordinator Mr. Crispy Kaheru.
Polling had commenced in some areas in Rubanda district such as at Mulore A-M polling station according to Electoral Commission reports.

It is not yet clear what has caused the delay but Jotham Taremwa, the EC spokesman had assured the country that the polling kits arrived by Saturday at the respective District Offices and were being distributed to various sub-counties. “EC has done all that is possible to ensure that polling stations are ready to open for voting at 7am,” he said in a statement.

The February 18 general polls were marred by delays especially in the districts of Kampala and Wakiso with voting starting only hours before they were meant to close because voting materials had not arrived.

Independent candidate for LCV Chaiperson Seat for Omoro district Dauglas Peter Okello Okao. PHOTO BY STEPHEN OKELLO

Kagadi district

10:37 am: In Kagadi town, voting started after 8am. However, voter turn up is very low, with no people in the lines at various polling stations such as at Kagadi Community Hall where the two polling stations in the area have no single voter in the line. The same situation prevails at Kagadi Taxi Park. However, reports from the rural parts of the district paint a different picture with voter turn up said to be high. Our reporters will soon be on ground in various villages in the district, to provide the latest updates.

“My own observation is people may have opted to go for work first. Even those who have come to vote are from their work places. Along the way, we expect people to turn up and vote,” says Celestin Mugisha, the team leader of the CCEDU observation mission in Kagadi district.

12:05pm: Two people have so far been arrested for alleged voter bribery in the ongoing elections in the new districts.

The two are; Mr Arigye Wensi, a resident of Rukoro trading center, Muko Sub County and Ms Keduresi Tukasingura. The two are said to be campaign agents of independent Rubanda District Woman MP candidate, Hilda Kabarungi.

13:58pm: Police are holding four people suspected to have participated in pre-election fraud in Kagadi district.

Three of the four suspects were allegedly intercepted in Ruteete sub-county while distributing money to voters on the polling day eve.

The Albertine regional police spokesperson Mr Julius Hakiza says Mr Stephen Kabateraine, Mr John Byaruhanga Wamara and Mr Robert Mbaziira were arrested by police during a night patrol at about 1am.

18:00pm: Preliminary results for Omoro Woman MP contest put the candidate for the ruling National Resistance Movement in the lead against.

Ms Catherine Lamwaka the NRM candidate is leading her close competitor FDC’s Prossy Alanyo Owiny by a wide margin in the polling stations whose results have been tallied so far.

20:38pm: FDC’s Toolit, Independent Okello in neck to neck contest in Omoro district

BY JULIUS OCUNGI

OMORO.

Preliminary results for the Omoro LCV Chairperson election have seen the FDCs candidate Simon Toolit in a neck to neck contest with independent candidate Douglas Peter Okello Okao, the former Gulu District NRM party Chairman.

In the five polling stations within Lalogi and Koro sub counties in Omoro District, Mr. Okello is in an early lead ahead of Mr Toolit with just four votes. Mr Toolit is the Gulu District FDC chairperson.

The total preliminary results from the polling stations of Lukwi A & B, Adak Primary School, Atede Primary School and Acoyo Chapel B, shows Mr Okello garnered 298 votes while Mr Toolit garnered 294 votes.

Mr Okello, who was an NRM supporter, parted ways with his party early last month citing intimidation from the party’s big shots in the district.
He is a former LCV Councilor for Lalogi Sub-county and also served as the Gulu District council speaker between 2011 and 2016.

Mr Toolit, was former Omoro County MP from 2006 to 2011.
He lost to Mr Jacob Oulanyah, the Incumbent Omoro District MP Jacob Oulanyah also Deputy Speaker of Parliament in the 2011 and 2016 parliamentary elections.

Other candidates in the race for Omoro LCV chairperson race are Mr Robert Mugabe [PPP], Mr Godfrey Oryem [independent], and Stephen Odong Latek [NRM].