Kawempe heads to the polls amid heavy security

KAMPALA, UGANDA | THE INDEPENDENT | Voters in Kawempe North have started assembling at their polling stations to elect a new Member of Parliament following the death of Muhammad Ssegirinya, who passed away on January 9 this year. The by-election is being conducted under tight security, with uniformed and plain clothed police and military personnel deployed across the constituency to ensure a smooth voting process.

Polling officials arrived at most stations by 6:00 AM, while electoral materials were delivered shortly after, around 6:30 AM. By 7:00 AM, officials were still organizing polling stations and had begun distributing materials to kick-start the voting process.

However, as of 7:30 AM, voting had not yet commenced at any of the polling stations visited by our reporters, with only a few voters present and waiting. At most polling stations, political party representatives and candidate agents were still conducting briefings for their teams in preparation for the voting process.

With 197 polling stations and 19,964 registered voters, the election has drawn nine candidates from different political parties and independent backgrounds. Candidates in the Race are Murerwa Hanifa Karadi (Independent), Luwemba Lusswa Muhammed (Independent),  Luyimbazi Elias Nalukoola (National Unity Platform – NUP), Mukiibi Sadat (Forum for Democratic Change – FDC), Nsereko Moses (Independent), Musiitwa Ismail (People’s Progressive Party – PPP), Mutazindwa Muhamood (Independent), Kasacca Henry Mubiru (Democratic Party – DP), Faridah Nambi Kigongo (National Resistance Movement – NRM)

In the 2021 general election, Muhammad Ssegirinya won the seat with a commanding 41,197 votes, far ahead of independent candidate Sulaiman Kidandala, who garnered 7,512 votes.  NRM’s Tom Johnfisher Kasenge finished third with 6,946 votes.  With days of intense campaigning now behind them, the nine candidates await the voters’ decision. Security remains heightened as the election unfolds.

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