Low voter turnout has overshadowed Thursday’s local government elections, drawing concern from contestants across the country as Ugandans voted to elect city mayors, district chairpersons, district woman councillors, and district councillors.
Unlike the recently concluded presidential and parliamentary elections, voting materials were delivered to most polling stations on time. However, voter participation remained notably low, with many polling centres registering very few voters, particularly during the morning hours.
In several parts of Kampala and other districts, voters reportedly began arriving at polling stations as late as 10:30 a.m. and beyond.
At Nankulabye, for instance, it reportedly took nearly 20 minutes for a second voter to appear after the first had cast their ballot in the morning.
Electoral Commission assistants at many polling stations were seen seated and waiting for voters, as the long queues witnessed in previous elections were largely absent.
Kampala City Lord Mayor and incumbent Erias Lukwago, who voted at Bulwa Polling Station in Wakaliga, described the turnout as disappointing, saying it reflected growing voter apathy.
“You can see it is almost 11 a.m., but there are no lines. I voted about 20 minutes ago, and no one else has voted at this polling station since,” Lukwago said.
He attributed the low turnout to public frustration and a loss of confidence in the electoral process.
“There is very low turnout across all polling stations, which can be attributed to voter apathy, public despondency, and frustration,” he added.
Lukwago also raised concerns about alleged irregularities, claiming there were reports of voters being ferried from one polling station to another.
“We are closely monitoring the process. Our agents at some polling stations, such as Ham Shopping Mall, have informed us of chaos and even fights. We have also received credible reports of people being ferried to vote at multiple polling stations,” he alleged.
Ronald Balimwezo, a candidate on the National Unity Platform (NUP) ticket, also blamed the low turnout on the aftermath of the presidential and parliamentary elections.
“What happened in the presidential and MP elections discouraged many people. There is fear, fatigue, and a loss of interest,” Balimwezo said.
He further claimed to have received reports of ballot stuffing in some areas.
“We are getting information from places like Naguru about possible ballot stuffing. Such incidents discourage voters and undermine confidence in the entire process,” he noted.
