Mayoral polls plagued by ballot stuffing and voter apathy

Ugandan municipal elections were hit by low voter turnout and claims of fraud, with officials in Masaka and Soroti reporting ballot stuffing and arrests during the mayoral polls.

Polling stations across Uganda were hit by a combination of low turnout and reports of widespread malpractice on Tuesday as the country held elections for municipal mayors and councillors.

The exercise, intended to settle local leadership after the contentious Jan. 15 national polls, was overshadowed by allegations of ballot stuffing, bribery, and technical failures. In many areas, the primary challenge for electoral officials was not managing crowds, but finding enough voters to legally begin the process.

Allegations of rigging

In Masaka City, the electoral process was compromised early in the morning. Gracious Aryaija, the returning officer for the city, confirmed that presiding officers at Kasana Playground and Muteesa I Royal University were removed from their posts. They were allegedly caught pre-ticking ballot papers in favor of a candidate.

Similar scenes played out in Soroti City, where voters at the Akum B polling station discovered pre-marked ballots already inside the boxes. The discovery led to chaotic confrontations, and Isaac Asaku, a candidate for the Forum for Democratic Change, was briefly detained by police after protesting the irregularities.

In the northern city of Gulu, police arrested at least one individual found in possession of unauthorized voter location slips, amid broader accusations of voter manipulation.

Empty polling stations

Despite the high stakes for local service delivery, voter apathy was the defining feature of the day. In Mukono Municipality, several stations remained virtually deserted.

“Ten of my family members are not coming to vote,” said Moses Kizito, a resident of Mukono. He cited frustration with the management of previous tallies. “The people we vote for are left behind. What is the reason for voting?”

In Busia, officials struggled to gather the 10 witnesses required by law to open ballot boxes. Residents suggested that a lack of financial “incentives” from local candidates contributed to the stay-away.

Technical and logistical hurdles

While Biometric Voter Verification Kits were used more consistently than in previous weeks, the technology received a mixed reception. Some officials praised the kits for boosting transparency, but others, including Nansana incumbent mayor Regina Bakitte, criticized them for operational delays.

Logistics also faltered in Arua City’s Bazaar Ward, where the election for female councillors had to be suspended. In a clerical error, the ballot papers featured the name of a deceased candidate rather than her replacement.