Heavy rains delayed voter counting in Rukungiri municipality

Rukungiri, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT | Voting counting failed to kick off at most polling station in Rukungiri municipality due to a heavy storm. Vote counting at most polling centers delayed for almost an hour after 4:00 pm. At Rukungiri main stadium polling station B, Henry Agaba, the presiding officer, said the vote-counting started 20 minutes passed 4:00 pm due to heavy rains.

The delay caused an exchange of words between Electoral Commission officials and polling agents at some polling stations like Rukungiri town council and Kyatoko primary schools, both in Eastern division Rukungiri municipality.

Dirlisa Kataryeba, an election monitor for the opposition Forum for Democratic-FDC party, said that by the time rain started, people were still in lines and left immediately it started. Kataryeba says although the voter turnout was low, the voting process went on well. 

At Rukungiri taxi park polling station, vote counting started at half past 4: 00 pm. At Rukungiri town council polling station, vote counting delayed by almost an hour while at Butagatsi polling station vote-counting delayed by 40 minutes. At Rukungiri main stadium polling station A vote-counting delayed by 25 minutes.

Darius Tweyambe, one of the candidates for the Rukungiri mayoral seat, says he had received complaints from his agents about the delayed vote counting exercise. Abas Namara, the Rukungiri District Returning Officer explains vote-counting delayed because of rain since most of the polling stations are in the open. By the time of filing this story, counting was still taking place at some polling station in Rukungiri municipality.

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