BY ISAAC MUMBERE & OBED KULE
Late coming and a low voter turnout characterized today’s women council elections in most parts of the district, according to a mini-survey conducted by Messiah Radio.
Whereas the election was meant to concurrently take place between 10am and midday across the entire country, by 10am only election officials were polling stations with literally no voters or only a handful of them.
At several polling stations including Rwenzori square, Kitooro and Nyakatonzi in Central Division of Kasese municipality where our reporters were on site by 10:30 am, there were no voters; they were later to begin strolling in by 11:30am when voter verification started.
Ms. Angela Birungi, the former chairperson of the Kasese District Women Council, who was also standing as the women council chairperson of Phase II scheme ward, said the delayed reporting for election and low voter turnout registered are attributed to inadequate sensitization and mobilisation of women to participate in their own elections.
According to Birungi, many women are yet to appreciate the critical role played by women council in the socio-economic development of communities.
At Basecamp lower polling station, some voters claimed that they were denied an opportunity to participate in the election despite the fact that they are duly registered as voters in their electoral area.
Ms. Lydia Masika, one of the residents in the area, argued that the voters’ register was manipulated and hence disfranchised residents denying them of an opportunity to vote for leaders of their choice.
At Railway Health Centre polling station in Kidodo cell of Railway Ward, some members of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change-FDC political party argued that the election was marred with irregularities claiming that there several officials of the ruling NRM party bribed voters.
Janet Masika and Janet Biira claimed that many of their supporters boycotted the election process because they realized that the exercise had been compromised.
Masika and Biira had stood for the positions of chairperson and vice chairperson area women council respectively; however, Masika lost to NRM’s Joy Muhindo with a difference of two votes after garnering 137 against 139 of the victors.
In Kirembe Cell of Kirembe ward, some members of the opposition also boycotted the election claiming that officials from the NRM secretariat had bribed voters by promising them with gifts ahead of the election.
Kasese district FDC chairperson Mr. Ronald Bwambale Kabuku expressed shock at what he called gross irregularities that marred the women council polls.
However, members of the NRM have dismissed these accusations and instead said they are excuses being used by the opposition to justify a devastating defeat to ruling party.
Hon Sarah Ithungu Masereka, the Kasese district woman representative said supporters of the ruling party turned up in big numbers because there was massive mobilisation from their team.
Jane Alisemera Babiiha from the NRM secretariat extended her gratitude to the people of Kasese for voting the NRM candidates in the women council elections.
While Messiah Radio is yet to get exact statistics on the outcome of the women council polls, preliminary data indicates that the NRM has won most of the seats across the entire district.
According to Mr. Selevano Mulhondi Kiiro, the Kasese Municipality NRM chairperson, the ruling party has secured about 90% of all the women council seats within Kasese town.
ENDS.