NRM Primaries: Kampala central voters defy party guidelines

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT | Voters in the National Resistance Movement-NRM primaries for Kampala Central division mayoral candidates and councillors have defied the party guidelines by voting before the stipulated time. 

Recently, the NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson, Dr Tanga Odoi directed that no election primary elections take place before the 11:00 am, the official voting time.   

However, in Kampala Central division voters queued up to elect their favourites candidates by 9:00 am. Those contesting for election as NRM candidates for Kampala Central Division Mayoral party ticket are Salim Uhuru and Patrick Mugisha. 

While those contesting for the councillor’s ticket includes Hakim Senoga who is tussling it out with Sylvia Kiiza Bahemurwaki for Nakasero I Councilor post, Agnes Mutonyi and Maureen Tumusiime are competing for the Woman Councilor Nakasero I and II Parishes while Dorah Birungi is running against Mugulusi Mbabazi for Kololo II and III and others.

Hundreds of voters turned up as early as 9:00 am at Crested Towers, Fairway, Katonga and Kitante Villages. Counting of voters started around 9:30 a.m. Efforts by URN to get an official comment from the electoral officers at these stations proved futile as they declined to speak to our reporter.

However, some of the voters in the area said they were they wanted to vote and move on with other things. Elijah Kyobe, a Special hire driver in the city centre, said they arrived at the polling station early enough because of effective mobilization by the candidates. 

Charles Mutegeki, a polling agent for Agnes Mutonyi, the aspirant for Nakasero I and II Parishes Woman Councilor’s NRM party ticket pointed at the good mobilization by the candidates as one of the reasons why voters showed early at the polling stations.   

Away from Nakasero I and II parishes, a quick visit at the nearby villages in Kololo showed a different picture with only polling officials and police officers were available at some polling stations.

At Windsor Crescent Village, URN found a few candidates’ agents and Felix Ephraim Okuye, the incumbent LC III Councilor for Kololo III Parish who insisted that voting was scheduled to start at 11:00 am, which explains why the polling stations in the area seemed abandoned.    

In Kamwokya, URN observed early voting at Central Zone and Green Valley Village. Here, our reporter witnessed voting in an enclosed area as early as 10:20 am while some people were locked outside the gate. There was no clear verification of voters as these stations whiles and campaigning went on around the polling station.

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URN

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