51 Mbarara City LC1 Chairpersons Elected Unopposed

total of 51 Local Council One (LC1) chairpersons in Mbarara City have been declared unopposed, meaning elections are not being held for the positions in their respective cells. According to Mbarara City Returning Officer Violet Atuhurra, the unopposed chairpersons will instead convene village meetings where residents will appoint and confirm members of their executive committees.

Mbarara City has 186 polling stations spread across the constituencies of Mbarara City North and Mbarara City South. Of these, 22 cells in Mbarara City North Division and 29 in Mbarara City South Division are not conducting elections because only one candidate was nominated for the LC1 chairperson position.

Atuhurra said although voting is not taking place in those cells, election officials have been deployed to guide the unopposed chairpersons on convening village meetings and constituting their executive committees.

Meanwhile, Mbarara City Deputy Resident City Commissioner Gerrard Tukamuhebwa said security had been strengthened across the city to ensure peaceful elections.

He warned that security agencies had received intelligence about individuals intending to intimidate voters and interfere with the electoral process, noting that anyone found disrupting the elections would be arrested.Tukamuhebwa added that the City Security Committee and the Electoral Commission had identified several hotspot cells where additional security personnel had been deployed to maintain law and order.

He also explained that LC1 chairpersons are responsible for nominating six members of their executive committees. Four positions—representing women, youth, older persons and persons with disabilities—are already provided for, while village residents will participate in confirming the committee members during the village meetings.

Fred Turyakira Kabango, who was elected unopposed as LC1 chairperson for Booma Cell, thanked residents for entrusting him with the leadership role. Kabango pledged to strengthen security in the area, promote backyard farming to improve household incomes, and ensure homes are properly identified to support security operations and service delivery-URN.