Polling Materials Delayed as Ruhaama Elects New MP

Ruhaama constituency in Ntungamo district will today, Thursday go to the polls to elect a new Member of Parliament following the death of the former legislator, William Zinkuratiire in November last year.

Campaigns were launched on December 15, last year after successful nominations of aspirants prior to that.

A total of four candidates are contesting in the race with NRM’s Moses Kahima Mugabe as the strongest candidate so far. His biggest contender is Eng Jackson Mubangizi, an Independent candidate.

The other two are Dr Peninah Beinomugisha and Vastinah Orishaba both not aligned to any party.

According to the Electoral Commission program, polling was supposed to open at 6am on Thursday but reports say there were delays in delivering of polling materials at some polling stations.

Six polling stations in Itojo sub-county had not received their polling materials one hour after the gazetted polling time, according to Crispin Kaheru, the Coordinator of CCEDU which is part of the election observation team.

In other parts, materials were delivered on time but there were no polling constables to safeguard them.

At Bukora polling station in Itojo sub-county, materials were received at 8:04 am, two hours late, reported Kaheru.

Ruhaama constituency has 199 polling stations and a total of 116,883 people were registered as eligible voters.

Citizens Coalition for Electoral Democracy – Uganda (CCEDU) in a statement released prior to polling day said that although the electoral process was largely peaceful, there were “widespread reports of political intimidation especially in Rweikiniro subcounty” as well as instances of voter bribery.

CCEDU further cited isolated incidents of violence and cases of candidates campaigning beyond the deadline of 6pm.

Voting will close at 4pm, according to the Electoral Commission roadmap, after which the ballots will be tallied and the winner announced late on Thursday.