EC assures Kawempe North a free and fair elections

7 March 2025, 10:31 am

By Ronald Ssemagonja

Following the brutality witnessed in the recent days of campaigns especially side by security personnel in Kawempe North Division constituency, the electoral commission (EC) decided to have engagements with the key stakeholders, including security; to create a room for peaceful campaigns and later free and fair elections. Since the occurrence of such acts, various people including religious leaders came out and condemned this in a strong manner.

It is against this background that the chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Justice Simon Byabakama, yesterday, at the EC headquarters in Kampala, chaired a meeting with representatives of National Unity Platform (NUP) Party, who were led by the secretary general, Lewis Rubongoya. “Today, we came here at the Electoral Commission, raise complaints formally regarding this by-election. We believe in being on record. We talked about the abductions and violence in this election.” Rubongoya submitted.

According to Justice Simon Byabakama, the issues raised including a polling station being in a barracks, etc. “We are going to the ground to find out what they are saying, so, we are going to find out whether it is near the barracks or not. However army officers have a right to vote but not in the barracks.” He said. NUP Party also raised a concern about the number of voters in Kawempe North. The Chairperson said that during the concluded exercise of registration, many people who turned eighteen and above, registered, so that is why the number raised to about 190,000 voters.

The electoral commission reconfirmed to all stakeholders that the Kawempe North by-election for member of parliament, will be free and fair. They condemned the actions of some of the security personnel and said that during the meeting they had days ago, they were sorry about what happened, and promised to comply.

The member of parliament seat for Kawempe North Division constituency became vacant after the death of the area MP Hon. Muhammad Segirinya weeks ago. He was a NUP party member. 10 people including two women are interested in replacing him. Polling day is on 13th, March, 2025 according to the electoral commission.